PEOPLE WILL COME.

On this second Monday of the Corona pandemic, I’d like to briefly mention something that most of us are aware of but possibly might not be thinking about: All of us are in the same boat.

Not just our community and state. Not just our country. The entire world is facing the same uncertainty that you and I are experiencing. Not since WWII has something completely gripped our entire world. At that time, safety and security were anything but assured, regardless of one’s country of residence. This current pandemic is impacting the world in a similar way, causing all people to stop and think seriously about their present and future lives.

For Christians, this is the time to talk about our Faith and the Church. Unchurched (people who don’t know), De-churched (people who used to know but not aren’t sure anymore), and couch-sitters (people who have better things to do) will be receptive to the Good News unlike any other time in the last seventy-five years.

After WWII, the Christian Church experienced explosive growth worldwide and it wasn’t just because everyone came home from the war (Remember, they lived in their native countries before they left for war and many of them didn’t attend church before they departed.) Rather, their wartime experience led them to the Church upon their return.

This pandemic is not a war as we would typically define it. However, it is similar in several ways, especially in regards to our Spiritual lives. Our current situation is causing the whole world to think about life, death, and every state of being in between. When a person has these thoughts, their heart softens and they become receptive to things that they may not have considered before the event.

We are supposed to be sharing the Gospel every day. Most of the time, we don’t share the Good News because we are afraid of rejection. Today, I simply ask that we keep this in mind: The likelihood of the Good News being received by a listener has just increased by a large percentage. How much of an increase? That depends on if we (you and I) do as Jesus taught: To share the Good News. People will come.

“Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.” 
(Colossians 5:5-6, NASB).

SHHH!  IT'S A SECRET!

This is a secret, so don’t tell anyone, especially your pastor. Your pastor is more stressed, concerned, and genuinely tired right now than they’ve ever been. Okay, I know, all of us are in that boat. But there are some big differences between them and the rest of us.

Pastor’s are “Pro’s” with making the best of a terrible situation. On a regular morning, they awaken, take care of their own spouse and family, and venture out into the great unknown. You might be saying, “All of us do that!”. Maybe so, but not like your pastor. Your pastor never knows where their presence is needed next. They may prepare for the office, but rarely are they able to stay there. They get pulled away at all hours of the day and night, and, almost always, the “surprise situation” is a tragedy in someone’s else’s life.

That’s their reality. Currently, they are like everyone else: stuck at home with great concern about what will happen next. But unlike you, they are supremely concerned for the welfare of EVERY SINGLE PERSON in the congregation. That’s right! They may be at home, but they are worried about what they’re going to do if this pandemic gets really, really bad. They can’t be everywhere at once. Or, if they can’t attend to you personally because of lock-down, they’re still going to be consumed with prayer, concern, and love for you. So they’ll be texting, emailing, and calling you, as well as your family, and everyone else in the congregation who might be struggling.

Your pastor’s family needs them more than ever right now, and it is very unlikely that they are able to give their own family the attention needed. Oh, you might be thinking, “They are getting all this time off from church!” If that’s your thought, you should be ashamed. Weekend worship services are when you “see” your pastor the most, but it’s not where they spend most of their time. Rather, during a REGULAR WEEK, they are doing everything else, like taking care of you and the rest of the congregation.

Given this horrendous mess caused by the Coronavirus, you can bet your pastor is already exhausted by trying to help calm fears and ease the individual concerns of every person in the congregation, plus administering all other church functions. But, guess what? They have a life, too. They need to be focusing on their own families, who are looking to them for guidance, leadership, and, most of all, a confident and calm presence in this stressful environment.

Your pastor needs you. When we were at Kroger buying all the toilet paper last week, where was your pastor? When all of us were at Wal-Mart buying up all the hand-sanitizer, Lysol, and all kinds of other stuff, did you see your pastor there? No. They were taking care of everyone else.

Do something for your pastor today after they’ve delivered their online sermon. Do they have what they need? Be proactive. Get in your car and go drop something at their front door. Want to give them cash or a gift card? I bet they could use it. Drop it in their mailbox.

We need to care for our church leaders. Normally, we don’t do a very good job of this. Right now, we’re probably doing a terrible job of it. Check-in with your pastors. Pray for them. We need them and they really need us. Be creative and find a way to give ‘em some love!

“Remember your leaders who taught you the Word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7, NLT).

YIKES!  THEY'RE SPEAKING IN TONGUES!

It’s another Sunday morning and a few of us are preparing for church, mass, temple, or whatever else you’d like to call it. We may attend at different locations, but we church-goers have some idea about what’s taking place at the houses of worship across the street or on the other side of town. We understand “Church” language well enough that if attending a friend or relative’s church somewhere else, we would probably be able to figure it out. But what most (if not all) church-goers don’t understand is that each church has its own language, and, to everyone on the outside, it sounds like we're speaking in tongues.

Now, if your church's goal is to speak in tongues and that’s what you want people on the outside to hear and see, then you can stop reading. Mission accomplished. If this is NOT what you are trying to communicate, let me offer a little help.

Churches are NOTORIOUS about using acronyms, terms, and labels that NOBODY ELSE understands. What do you call your Kids’ Program or Youth Group? Guess what? Nobody outside of your church knows what you call it. In fact, lots of people inside your church don’t know it, either. The only people that understand the acronyms and program titles are the people who are both connected AND interested. For instance, an older person inside your church probably does not know the name of the weekly kids’ programs, just like a younger person in your church doesn’t know what you call the monthly outing of seniors.

Don’t be too worried about this; Be horrified about this! When a visitor comes through your doors and receives information from you, how are they supposed to decipher the information they are given? Are you expecting them to do research on your church and figure it out? (Hint: If they conducted any pre-visit research about the church, the information they found is likely outdated.) I know, you’ve spent a lot of time coming up with catchy names, slick logo’s, and stuff like that. Trust me, none of that matters if you don’t immediately describe the “who, what, where, when, and how” of all of it. Yes, this will get redundant week-to-week, but guess what? The first-time person who arrives today will have never heard about any of this stuff. If you want them to consider visiting your many ministries, you’ll have to communicate clearly and completely to them.

Lastly, and most importantly, whatever you do, please do not speak these titles, acronyms, and special languages during worship. Why? Because it sounds even worse than it looks. Anytime you mention a church gathering, class, group, or program during worship, please make sure to define what it is, who it includes, and when it meets. Then, direct the listeners where they can find more information (and please don’t give them some lady’s name to contact for a sign-up. They don’t know her! In fact, most of your church doesn’t know her, either.)

Get the drift? To an outsider, we must communicate with vocabulary that everyone can understand. If you communicate clearly with all of the proper information, not only will you be informing your church members, you might also be gaining the interest of your church visitors.

Sounds easy, right? Wrong! When you’re in worship today, pretend you’re a visitor. Look closely at your bulletins, on-screen slides, and any other visual materials. Listen carefully to the announcements and information shared by every person who handles the microphone (especially the pastors – we’re the worst at this.) Look at your website, Facebook, and other electronic stations. You’ll find numerous places of poor, incomplete, and outdated communication, which, of course, means you’re speaking in tongues. If that’s your intention, great job! If not, Yikes!

“But when I’m in a church assembled for worship, I’d rather say five words that everyone can understand and learn from than say ten thousand that sound to others like gibberish.” (1 Cor 14:19, The Message).

STUDY PARTNERS

Remember in school when we used to have study partners? I remember in elementary school, occasionally, the teacher would give us an assignment in class to work together. That was the best! This gave us an excuse to talk during class and not get in trouble. Then, in high school, those “working together” projects would be assigned. This was still better than working alone, but logistics (long before computers, mobile phones, file sharing and video conferencing) were always a problem. Then, in college (even in seminary), I grew to dislike those assignments. Working in a group usually caused problems, because there were always one or two people who didn’t fulfill their part of the assignment, thereby creating problems for the rest of us.

We know now that our teachers and professors had a valid reason to give us those assignments. It forced us to work together, allowing for a variety of opinions to be shared and considered. Although we may not have liked it all the time, we learned much more by working together!

Faith is exactly this way. When we work, study, and discuss topics together, we learn so much more! However, problems can and do occur. When we are grouped with people who aren’t like us, don’t think like us, or live their lives like us, it forces us into uncomfortable positions that makes us question our own beliefs. What’s the result? Many of us shy away from Faith-related small group opportunities, primarily because we don’t “have to do it.”

During this first week during Lent, I’d like to encourage you to find a Faith-based small group somewhere. The weekly opportunities to share and study our Christian Faith are everywhere. Churches, home groups, and off-site gatherings at restaurants, coffee shops, and even local pubs are easily found, but only if we make the effort to find one.

Have you ever been part of a Bible study group or class? Are you involved in one now? If not, make this your Lenten challenge and become part of a small group. Be sure to adjust your schedule and attend the group every week. Then, after Easter, reflect upon the time you’ve spent with other people. My guess is that you will have learned some new things, made some new friends, and expanded your horizons more than you ever expected.

God does big things during our private time in prayer and Scripture. But God can accomplish even bigger things when we add other people to the mix. Find some study partners. Make some new friends. Then, get ready to hold on! God will do more than you ever expected! (If you need a small group or Bible study, I bet you can leave a comment below and some opportunities will be presented to you!)

“Let us consider how to inspire each other to greater love and to righteous deeds, not forgetting to gather as a community, as some have forgotten, but encouraging each other, especially as the day of His return approaches.” (Hebrews 10:24-25, The Voice).

ESPECIALLY DURING WORSHIP!

Ah, it’s the first Sunday in Lent 2020. Most people on social media will be celebrating home church today. I’d love to say, “home church,” inferring that people are gathered together in homes, worshiping and praising God. As wonderful as that would be, that’s not what’s taking place. Most folks are at home on the couch by themselves, watching some of their 400+ television channels or surfing social media for the CrazyRussianHacker’s next post on YouTube.

During the last few months of sabbatical, I’ve visited many churches. I’ve taken this as an opportunity to especially visit plenty of older, traditional-style churches. The sanctuaries are beautiful beyond words, but I’ve noticed something ugly and unfortunate in all of them. 

As some might expect, many churches are facing a decline in attendance. I see these massive sanctuaries that can seat hundreds of folks, yet there’s only a few folks who are seated in the pews. However, the ugly part of my observation is not the number of people in attendance. Rather, my concern is the large number of people who are sitting by themselves during worship. Where’s the problem? All of these people know each other, yet they are NOT sitting with each other during worship.

Worship is a joint, common, community experience which is meant to be shared together. If we allow ourselves (and others) to be isolated in worship, we are doing an incredible disservice to each other. As a visitor who walks through your doors, it makes me think that you don’t like each other. It makes me think you have terrible body odor or that you’re in an argument with the people on the other side of the sanctuary. If I wanted to see and hear conflict, I could’ve stayed home and watched reality TV.

Here’s the point: If you have a church that you call home, don’t let anyone (members or visitors) sit by themselves. Take the initiative and sit with them. If you’re in the choir, step out of the choir loft during a prayer and go sit with someone who is alone. Be proactive. Especially if you see visitors (whether it’s just one, a couple, or a family), go sit with them. Visitors don’t know when to stand, sit down, or whatever in your church. Nor do they know “The rules” of worship at your church (I mean, really, how could they?). If they have the courage to walk into your church without knowing anyone, you can certainly have the courage to sit with them and make a new friend.

Church is supposed to be a place that demonstrates love for others. Outsiders know this, and, in part, that’s why they’ve walked through your doors. It’s time that we demonstrate the love for each other that we proclaim, ESPECIALLY during worship.

“O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name TOGETHER.” 
(Psalm 34:3, NRSV).

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” 
(John 13:34-35, NLT).