Advent-ure 2020 December 3: SAVIOR (The Church Rises)

Because we have a capacity to sin, we are desperately in need of salvation.  Christ, our Savior, has come to deliver us from the power of sin and death, and Galatians 6 encourages us to walk in obedience to Him:
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 

Our Savior gives us the power to walk in victory, even though we are in this world in a fleshly body with fleshly desires.  He calls us to triumph - we are weak in ourselves, as Paul points out, but strong in Him. So, in our weakness and weariness, our Savior calls us to continue to trust in Him. Many in our culture today, I believe, are weary, even to the point of frustration and tension, yet, God is faithful and will give us the resources we need each day to live for His glory.

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The Savior has come, and God is calling us to serve Him wholeheartedly in love and in power.  He provides the strength we need in difficult days.  In Luke 2, we read the majestic narrative, when angels 
came to shepherds in a field outside Bethlehem and brought good news, which is good news for us two thousand years later. We see these verses:
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

It's Day 3 of our 25-day Christmas Advent-ure from Faith Radio, with the theme, "Call His Name."  We are exploring names used in Scripture to describe Jesus Christ, and today, we focus on Savior.

We have continued to track how the coronavirus is affecting the Church - and, churches and ministries have been diligent in finding ways to connect with their congregations and the people they serve, even amidst COVID restrictions.  But, the virus has certainly become a menace and has separated God's people from in-person fellowship with one another, which may have enormous implications for the months and even years to come.

Tonight, Faith Radio and Frazer Church are partnering together to present a virtual concert: the "Christmas is Beautiful" Night of Worship with Shelly E. Johnson.  It will be available on Faith Radio, through Frazer Christian Television and its livestream platform, as well as Facebook Live and YouTube Live at 7pm.  It's a way for Christians to gather in worship in a time in which concert gatherings have been restricted.  Please join us.

There is a trajectory that has been identified by two researchers regarding the response of the Church to public health orders that affect church attendance.  The Christian Post reports that: 

Paul Djupe, an affiliated scholar with the Public Religion Research Institute, and Ryan Burge, a political science professor at Eastern Illinois University, collaborated on a survey asking 1,750 Americans for their views about the coronavirus pandemic in October. They had previously collaborated on a coronavirus-related survey in March, when they spoke to 3,100 Americans.

The researchers posed a statement: "If the government told us to stop gathering in person for worship I would want my congregation to defy the order...." In March, almost 22% of those surveyed said they agreed with that statement; in October, it was up to 34%.  And, conversely, in March, just over 55% disagreed with that statement.  Six months later, it was down to just below 4-in-10.

The article also says that, "Other findings show a drop in the percentage of adults who believe 'the government should tell churches and houses of worship that they should stop meeting in person to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.' While 66.1% of Americans agreed with that in March, 56% said the same in October."

Djupe and Burge found, according to the article, that "support for defiance of coronavirus worship restrictions had increased among all party identifiers..." and the data shows that fewer people believe that the virus has become politicized.  

Personally, I think these numbers illustrate two things: 1) the overall tiredness of the interruption of our way of life that COVID represents and 2) the realization that church attendance is very important to Christian believers and the willingness to walk it out.  

We can remember to continue to proclaim the faithfulness of our Savior during times of challenge. Jesus did not come to save us from the perils of this world, but promises to be with us in the midst of our trials.  Jesus, our Savior, is also faithful to sustain us when we are beset by fear, so that we can walk confidently in Him in a troubled world.

So, for the believer in Christ, we can remember to not become weary in well doing.  He is sufficient for us, regardless of our circumstances. And, while we learn to adapt to the threat of coronavirus and alter our lifestyles, we can continue to exhibit trust in Him, recognizing that the move of the Holy Spirit cannot be quarantined and that He is still saving souls.  We can be safe and respect authority, but remain devoted to the essential mission of the Church.