Grief at not gathering
A really challenging part of life at the moment is dealing with constantly changing rules and expectations.
Sometimes those changes are small and of little consequence.
'Do I need to wear a mask here?'
'Is my favourite cafe open yet?'
There are some changes that do have a significant impact on our lives.
'Can the kids go back to school or can I go back to the office?'
'How will these current restrictions impact my job security?
'Is it safe to re-engage with the wider society and the wider world?'
With the new restrictions at Alert Level 2, we are wrestling with what this means for our regular gathering as God's people.
On the one hand, we rejoice that we can meet together in smaller groups to read the Bible, pray and care for one another. This is a great privilege when I consider the restrictions faced by family and friends in Auckland and many parts of Australia.
On the other hand, we still experience real grief that we cannot all meet together on a Sunday morning as God's people, face to face, experiencing and expressing the unity we have in Christ. We hunger to gather to hear God's word, to respond in repentance, faith, obedience, prayer and worship.
It is worth acknowledging that the grief and pain we feel at the moment is real, right and appropriate. If it didn't grieve us there would be something fundamentally wrong with us as a gathering of God's people.
Fundamental to who we are as God's people is that we are gathered. Throughout the Old Testament judgement was expressed as 'scattering'. Think Tower of Babel and the Exile. And the picture of blessing is God gathering his people together and to himself.
See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
Isaiah 40:10-11
With this in mind, can I strongly encourage you to gather with those you can for church online this Sunday? And if you don't have anyone to gather with, please let us know or come join those who are going to be making the live-stream happen from Tory Street?
In one sense online church is very convenient. But with that convenience comes the real risk that we don't realise what we are missing when we don't gather together.
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."(Hebrews 10:24-25)
Grace & peace,
Andrew