A good word from Kim Wu today:

I’ve been thinking about what church will look like for us over the coming months, and have listened again to the sermon series in which the new vision for our church was cast. Although we cannot be sure how long this period of staying at home and social distancing will last, nor what our “new normal” will look like, living into our vision is not something we defer until we have it all figured out.

In discussing the transforming love of Christ, Pastor Will referred to the times and seasons when we become busy doing our own things and we go our own way, but he reminded us that thankfully there are “moments of awareness, when we can once again be open and available to the touch of the Master, the one who can bring forth a way when we’ve been struggling to find our own, who can bring healing out of brokenness, and can change our despair to hope.” I think we are in such a time, and God is using this as an opportunity to mold us a little bit more; as Will pointed out, “we are all works in progress.” So what work does God want to do in you, and how does He want to accomplish it?

In this season where we are keenly aware of how much has been taken from us, we have to shift our way of thinking and recognize what is being offered to us. In the stillness, God is inspiring and renewing, but we have to receive everything that God is gifting us to be fully open to His plans: God’s love, His presence with us, His kindness and joy, the truth of His Word which reveals who He is and who we are, and the church of believers as the body of Christ to support and encourage one another as we go out into the world to share Christ’s transforming love.

In these days of social distancing, connection through a small group (virtually for now) is also a gift that God offers us, and a primary means through which we grow in our love for Him and our obedience to Him. If you are already in a small group, I know you are finding creative ways to continue to learn, grow, and encourage each other. If you are not, now is the time to take a step in that direction. Next week, we are starting a new short-term Bible study: Max Lucado’s “Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World.” This study is helpful not only for those who are anxious and seeking peace during these difficult times, but also for those seeking connection with others as we work together to strengthen our faith in remembering to rejoice in the Lord always and abide in Him.

I also encourage you to consider inviting someone to join you in our new short-term Bible study, or form your own small group as you invite your neighbors, friends, and family to do this study with you. People are anxious about the times we are in, and are in such need of Jesus. As Pastor Will said in his vision-casting sermon on welcoming and inviting others, “Our vision, taken as a whole, is all about evangelism….The work belongs to all of us…as we take our gift of faith, and give it away.”