On Monday this week the last of the government's COVID emergency response measures were signalling the final step in our transition to a post-COVID world.
In God's timing, on Tuesday I was interviewed by a researcher from Victoria University about how our church was impacted by the COVID pandemic and the government response to it.
While there were many frustrations, hurts and disappointments from that period of time, the overall feeling I had was of thankfulness to God. Not thankful for COVID specifically but thankful for how God cared for and sustained our church during that difficult time.
During the years of 2020-2022 we face many challenges that had the potential to bring deep division amongst our church community. We also had to deal with significant disruption to our community life that could have seen us lose sight of our mission.
Our response to all of this was to pray, to care for one another and to keep reading God's word as we fixed our eyes on Jesus.
In hindsight we can now see clearly that God was faithful and answered those prayers. We can also see that during that time he used hardship to grow us follower of Jesus.
Many perceive hardship as an absence of God's presence and something to be avoided. But James writes this,
'Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.'
By nature, trials are hard but in God's grace he uses them to grow and mature us. COVID was most definitely a trial for us and for many churches. Will you join me in thanking God for the way he heard and answered our many prayers and grew us through hardship?
Grace & peace,
Andrew
eNews - 18th August 2023