Solomon wrote, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven," Ecclesiastes 3:1. COVID-19, absence from one another, shelter-in-place, public gathering restrictions, and social distancing, they are all just as season. Their time was sovereignly appointed to begin. It will, by Divine plan, come to an end. Daniel blessed the name of God and in Daniel 2:21 exclaims, "He changes times and seasons;". When He changes this season, the local church will reopen and once again gather to enjoy the visual grace of God through His body, the church, and glorify His Name!
With the weather getting nicer, and curves being flattened, everyone is talking about reopening everything. And, church leaders are not exempt from that conversation. Some churches opened last weekend, some are opening this weekend, some next weekend, and some next month. Some, like us, don't yet know when they will reopen. It is my prayer, please join me, if it is God's will, that the Village will begin gathering again in the month of June. However, I don't know yet if that is what the Lord has willed, and His will is what I'm after for our church! A song I love says, "What God has willed, what God has planned, I am not skilled to understand". We are simply following the lead of the Lord in prayer for his guidance. We are in conversation with other church leaders and healthcare workers. We are listening to state and federal officials who are equipped with information that we simply do not have. We know this, when the time comes that God has appointed for the church to reopen, we will gather again.
Until then, though, I want to strongly advise and caution us to be in prayer; that God would protect our hearts, minds, mouths (and social media pages!) from casting judgement on other churches/church leaders who may make decisions that we may not agree with in reopening. Churches are going to start reopening. You may think they are premature or you may think they are too slow. You may feel jealous if others reopen and we don’t or you may feel proud if we reopen and others don’t. Be careful of all of these things! Romans 14 has been a great help and encouragement to me in this regard. It says in verse 5, "One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." But, what is this saying to our context right now? It's saying that different men are leading different bodies in different settings and will make different decisions. Decisions that we might not necessarily agree with, but decisions that they are free to make and that we must not to stand in judgement of. I pray that church leaders everywhere are trusting God and taking counsel in this. I pray that we all desire the same thing: to glorify His Name in the reopening of our local churches. I hope, soon, to provide information about what reopening the Village Church will look like. Until then, stay in God's Word, stay in prayer, and stay in fellowship by whatever means you can!
Grace & Peace,
John
(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)