When life came to a screeching halt this past March, I had no clue of the impact that the COVID-19 would have on our way of life. You probably did not either. Almost everything we knew and enjoyed about living in the land of the free was put on pause. I will never forget sitting in a room with our deacons as we began to pray for guidance on how to do church in a pandemic. Seminary had not prepared me for this moment. We made the decision to move our church to an online format only in order to keep the flock safe. It was the right call. We said in that meeting, it would only last a few weeks and we could resume well before summer. Four months have gone by and though we have been able to open things back up at some level, what we have to agree on is that some things will never be the same again.
The landscape of the American church will be forever changed. Most people I know, including myself, dislike change. We like things the way we have done them in the past. Our thinking and our focus will have to adapt as the world sets into the New Normal. The church has been labeled nonessential for the first time in American history. This is not a surprise as we have watched the decline of evangelicalism. What is surprising is the number of churchgoers that are ok with this. Before you keyboard whip me for not being concerned about a virus, please know that I am deeply concerned. I have people at PCBC that I have begged to stay home through this pandemic because they are at high risk. What concerns me most is seeing people fall into a trap of complacency. It is a sticky trap to fall in to.
Do not let the new normal cripple your walk with Jesus. You are in a race. Keep Running! Remember your calling. Focus on what you can do for the kingdom. I want you to look for ways to make the world a better place to live. Bless others, help those in need, and pray for healing. Look outside your perspective to see what God may be calling you to. Together, we can be the city on a hill and a light unto the world.
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