Church...interrupted

by Rev. Nate Williamson

Covid-19 has caused the whole world to come to a screeching halt. e fear of the spread of illness and the possibility of death has caused us to slow down economically and socially. e Church is no di erent. We have been forced out of our normal routines of worship and community; our personal routines of work, school, extra circular events and entertainment have been interrupted. But, has the Church really been interrupted or is God trying to teach us something new in this season?

Perhaps this season is not about loss but reclamation of what has already been lost. e early Church in the Book of Acts did not have regular places of worship. ere were seasons when they couldn’t gather together publicly because of fear of persecution or death, or simply distance. And yet, we see the Church growing exponentially during that period in spite of the hindrances and hardships they faced. No one can disagree that North American churches are spoiled. We have our large buildings, air conditioning, lights, inspirational music and more. We have become so reliant on structures that pastors are still preaching their sermons to empty seats in their sanctuaries. Christianity has become too polished and professional, and is no longer just being a group of believers locking arms and following Jesus. God has stripped all those things in this season and left us with the reality of a simple, relational faith.

Since the Church has been dispersed into separate homes, however, each home is now a place of worship. We are not con ned to seeing how many people we can t into one place at one time, but each believer is called to be a light in his household and community. God has blown out the four walls of our churches, forcing His people to be the Church. e early Church knew that the new life in Christ meant four things that they had to do every day: dedicate themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to prayer, to the breaking of bread together and fellowship. Nothing in this season is hindering these four tenets, core processes of the new life in Christ. We can study God’s Word daily, and prayer is not the least we can do but the most. Fellowship and the breaking of bread together can be realized virtually through video conferencing.

As things open back up and our old routines are available, don’t forget the lessons He is teaching us now. Let’s look back at the Book of Acts and the early Church, realizing that the Holy Spirit has freedom to move because of seasons like the one we are experiencing now, and not in spite of them.

Rev. Nate Williamson is the senior pastor of Covenant in Morgantown, WV.