I hear people say all the time, "Stop going to Church,
Be Church". Sounds nice, but what does it mean and how does that mentality
or state of being influence the Communities in which we serve. Should it effect
or influence the community?
One of my favourite quotes is by Henri Nouwen, "The
great illusion of leadership is to think that man can be led out of the desert
by someone who has never been there."
Sounds like a nice thing to say or
maybe even a good excuse not to be led by others (that doesn't have the same,
difficult, experiences as you but it rings very true as to the witness and effectiveness
of the Church. We (the Church) should not hesitate to be vulnerable.
Church is more than the buildings and programs that we run.
Church is the people of God living Christ! We are a bunch of imperfect people
that discovered a perfect Saviour and that shares Christ with those we
encounter. This means that we make a mark in community, whether we want to or
not... by virtue of just loving Christ we impact community. By sharing in
people's joys and vulnerabilities we impact communities. The issue that the
Church should continually be wrestling with is about how much we know and let
Christ be known.
This is ever so true now... The Covid 19 pandemic managed force
us to re-think who we are as the Church… business as usual has been halted and
Church as usual, I think, has forever been altered… Church as usual get not
continue even when this pandemic ends. A re-definition of our perception
and or imagining of Church is now happening, whether we like it or want it
or not. Now is not the time anymore for us to lament and moan
about what we should have done... whatever we are doing now is how we are
shaping our new normal of being Church. I urge us however to never loose
contact with each other. The Church in my opinion ceases to be Church if we lose
contact. Finding ways to share our lives with each other is crucial. We are
Church... Now... in this time... for this time...
I remember a time when HIV/AIDS first hit us… The Church
said… WE ARE HIV POSITIVE – THE CHURCH HAS AIDS. We said this based on our theology
that says that if one suffers, we all suffer. So, what is different now?
Whatever the pandemic, whatever the condition we are all in
it and if we are going to survive it… we must do it together. We must never
loose each other
To be a Christian Church Community in any time means to belong
to Christ and each other… To know Christ, live Christ and to make His love
known to all.
