CURIOUS, I BEGAN TO PERUSE recent articles about reduced church attendance and related concerns as the pandemic fades. Times have changed. Like people in general, it’s complicated. But an old familiar sad feeling began to meander its way into my thoughts and make itself at home. Today I uninvited that feeling. I needed a new heart.
I read one analysis of situations and people who’ve decided they want to continue worshipping remotely for “convenience—and fellowship.” If one can worship without the fuss of collecting all the family members and driving to the church house, it seems like it could put everybody in a better state of mind. Are leaders going to place themselves in the position of defining what “assembling” is and is not? I said at the outset it’s complicated. One Anglican church developed multiple chat capabilities online for worship to help make getting to know each other “fun and easy”—including local Christians and those across the pond.
Then, there were the advice columns that seemed to lecture pastors/ministers about the need to focus on the “re-orientation”—not only for congregants to assemble but unmentionable topics—like giving. Did I mention that? Valid, but another time, perhaps. I’m sure they meant their counsel to sound more compassionate. Ministers have enough on them already, as they will answer to God with greater strictness. What they need is our support in every way, true gratitude, and continuous prayer.
I stopped reading these articles after ingesting one depressing abstract on six types of congregations that will die after the pandemic. Sigh. We don’t need this. The writers were Christians, I assume.
But something BIG was absent from all I read. And THAT is what really concerns me.
I read nothing about God’s powerful Spirit—the one-who-will-guide-us-into-all-truth to make great things out of the unexpected or void! In Matthew 13, Jesus addresses a large crowd. He has learned that John, his cousin, was murdered. Surely it was a tumultuous time for him. The disciples knew the crowd was hungry and wanted to send them away to buy their own food. Then, Jesus lobs to them an opportunity, “YOU feed them.” Immediately, they whined why they couldn’t. The disciples were new at seeing God’s solutions. But I see many today, 2000 years later, who aren’t sure he still performs miracles. I’m concerned.
I’m imperfect as the twelve. I don’t always go to God first. Although I/we all have so little to give God and always will, shouldn’t we regularly ask him to first bless whatever loaves and fish we offer . . . trusting he will do amazing things with it? Perhaps we lack answers because we do not ask. Or we ask wrongly.
Where is our faith?
This can be the era when God feeds greater multitudes through “little-faith ones” who give with joy and trust. Then we will know who gave the increase. “YOU feed them,” still echoes. What should we do?
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