Connect

Even though many churches have experienced physical separation over the past year, action has certainly been taken to keep us connected. We reflect Christ as we seek to function together in Him, according to Colossians 3:

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Even when we are separated, we can have a sense of being one in Christ.  That involves seeking God in prayer and praying for one another, staying in communication with fellow believers, and using technology such as social media and streamed services to worship.  And, Faith Radio can keep you connected with the head of the body, keeping you strong so that the local church is built up and so that Christ is exalted.
 

+++++

The Lord has called us to be part of an incredible community, the body of Christ - and even though the coronavirus has resulted in our being apart physically, I would say there is great anticipation about what will occur as we continue to come back together. Hebrews 10 states:
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

The process will likely not be complete this weekend, but the level of confidence for church attendees returning to regular worship services has increased, according to Pew Research, which reports that, in a summary of a recent survey:

Three-quarters of U.S. adults who normally attend religious services now say they are “very” or “somewhat” confident they can do so safely, without spreading or catching the coronavirus – up 12 percentage points from when this question was last asked in July 2020. Over that period, there also has been a considerable drop in the share who say they think their congregation should be closed to help stop the spread of the virus.

And, regarding Easter this year, 39% of Christians say they will be at an in-person service this year; by contrast, 62% say they would typically be at church on Easter Sunday.  52% of Evangelical Protestants say they'll be there vs. 70% who usually attend.

Here's another tidbit for you: "Most people who say they generally attend religious services at least once or twice a month (58%) say they have not attended during the past month."

The survey also indicated whether their churches were opened or closed, with 12% of those who attend a religious service once or twice a month saying their church was open "as normal" - that's double the percentage from last July.  But, combine that with the 64% who say that their church is open, but "with COVID-19 restrictions," and you get three-quarters of Americans who attend church regularly who say their churches are open to some degree.  Still 17% of respondents say their church is closed; that's down from a third last July. 

But, there is alternative programming widely available for those who choose to stay home, with 8 out of 10 "U.S. religious attenders" saying their church offers some sort of way for congregants to watch online or on TV.

The statistics indicate that people are coming back to church and their level of confidence of attending church without risking catching coronavirus is up.  A big question has to do with what church is looking like when they return; for instance, over 50% of survey respondents said their church was requiring social distancing and a 50-50 split said that masks were required.  This is likely to decline in most areas over the next few months, if current trends continue, but I would project that the experience with COVID will result in some permanent changes in the way we do "church."  I plan to talk about that next week here on The Meeting House.

The virus has not only caused great illness and death, but there has been a general sense of instability and isolation.  We have suffered greatly - but we can know that Christ is with us in our suffering. He suffered to the point of death, and so He is not unacquainted with what we are going through. As we commemorate His death and resurrection, we can grow more reliant on Him and allow Him to restore what the enemy has wrought through the pandemic.  There has been much spiritual fruit even in the midst of this season, and we can trust Him to do great and mighty things as the Church returns more to a sense of normalcy.