Christian Community

What a year 2020 has been so far! How do you share in community when you are told to socially isolate and distance? This creates some real challenges for Christian Ministry but it also creates opportunities.

For the sake of this article I want to summarize some of the key aspects of Christian ministry in three main points as follows: 1. Good Christian ministry should have at its core, teaching and learning from the

Bible, as we discover more of who God is, what God is like. It should explore how God has acted in history and how

He still changes lives through His Holy

Spirit. Transformation, reconciliation, forgiveness, a new start, peace of God and peace with God. 2. Good Christian ministry should allow worship that is participatory that means people write and sing songs of thanks and praise to who God is and what He is doing. Worship also includes how we use our time and money to honour God; for example, how we use hospitality to ‘bless’ others and participate in Christ- centered community. 3. Good Christian ministry should proclaim the ‘Great News’ of Jesus Christ as it reaches out into the community through words, what we might call evangelism, teaching, testifying to God’s goodness and discipling. It should also include actions. Actions may include volunteering, works of charity, walking alongside those in need, advocating for those who need a voice.

So what has it looked like when you can’t gather in person? What does it look like when you are not allowed to sing together? What does it look like when you can’t eat together?

In one way the clip ‘The Blessing UK’ epitomized what it means to be unified in purpose and passion of sharing God’s blessing, despite physical buildings being closed and people in social isolation. It is a song that very much feels anointed for this season of 2020. You can listen to this amazing song here: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=PUtll3mNj5U

There were a few things that happened this year that allowed us to adapt as we reached out with the ‘Good News’ in our community. Chapel went virtual and we started sending out a daily devotion. The devotion is based on a verse from the Bible. It is the firm belief that God still speaks through what He spoke through and is still in the business of changing lives.

Jeremiah 31:3 reminds us that God has loved us with an everlasting love and that He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. God has shown us His grace and mercy in Jesus so we can have the peace of God and peace with God even in difficulty times.

Early on our chapels focused on some practical tips even when facing an unprecedented crisis like a pandemic. Bear Grylls says ‘If faith and fear sail into your harbor, don’t let fear drop anchor’. As people left PLC to enter into a time of ‘lockdown’ we focused on how to have faith instead of fear. Dr. Patrick Sookhedeo of Barnabas Fund had some practical tips that we explored. 1. Discipline your mind not to give way to the emotions of fear.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7. 2. Trust God, talk to Him in prayer, speak it out loud and sing to him. 3. Acknowledge that God is in control (see

Matthew 10:29). 4. Remember God cares for us “Casting all your cares upon him, for he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7. 5. Know the End-an eternal glory, which far outweighs ‘our light and momentary troubles’. 2 Corinthians 4:17 6. Care for others. As you love God be empowered to love others and serve them too. Galatians 6:10.

It is so important even when we face fear and anxiety to discipline our minds and rest in God’s grace. This is part of the point of Christian meditation; not to empty one’s mind but to fill it with the knowledge of God’s goodness and grace.

While we were in Stage 3 we could still attend chapels virtually. Talks could be given and the chapel band could still sing even with social distancing. The services were streamed into classrooms as our students would then watch and participate from their form room.

We had also been exploring some of the characteristics of God such as God as Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer and that God is the living God of justice. With the civil unrest especially in America, it was an important aspect to be explored. We were reminded that justice has a source: God, and that we all have to give an account to how we have lived with what we have.

We were also reminded of lessons from the past such as humble powerful leaders such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Junior and his six steps of non-violent protest.

Principle One: Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people. It is active nonviolent resistance to evil. It is aggressive spiritually, mentally and emotionally.

Principle Two: Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding. The end result of nonviolence is redemption and reconciliation. The purpose of nonviolence is the creation of the Beloved Community.

Principle Three: Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice not people. Nonviolence recognizes that evildoers are also victims and are not evil people. The nonviolent resister seeks to defeat evil not people.

Principle Four: Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform. Nonviolence accepts suffering without retaliation. Unearned suffering is redemptive and has tremendous educational and transforming possibilities.

Principle Five: Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate. Nonviolence resists violence of the spirit as well as the body. Nonviolent love is spontaneous, unmotivated, unselfish and creative.

Principle Six: Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice. The nonviolent resister has deep faith that justice will eventually win. Nonviolence believes that God is a God of justice.

I especially love that last one. The nonviolent resister has a deep faith in justice. God is a God of justice and His will be done. There are many powerful lessons to learn in Dr. King’s wisdom.

We were also reminded that sometimes we don’t have the full picture but God is at work. The story of Corrie Ten Boom giving thanks for the fleas is a good example of that. You can read about that in her book ‘The Hiding Place’. There are things that happen in life that we would never want but we can still get to a position where we thank God for what we have, even if it is less than perfect now.

Stories such as Archbishop Kwashi from Nigeria, Kim Phuoc from Vietnam, are great examples of God at work despite difficult times.

We are reminded to have faith over fear. That faith is not based on our own faith but on the object of our faith; God and his faithfulness. To grow in faith we need to learn more about God and to exercise our faith.