(ADVENT 21) Unwrapping Christmas: The Body of Christ

The Church, the body of Christ, is strengthened as we adopt and adhere to the principles of God's Word and to draw strength from one another, being encouraged as members of the body. Ephesians chapter 2 relates:
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone,
21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

We are part of a body of believers and we can enthusiastically serve the head, the Lord Jesus Christ. As we serve Him, we also recognize that we are called to serve one another.  When one is weak, another can help him or her out. Together, we can make a significant impact on the culture around us.  We can see the presence of God working through us as we come together to worship and to participate in the life of the Church.

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We continue to "unwrap" these wonderful gifts that God has given to us during our journey through the Faith Radio Advent Guide, "25: A Christmas Advent-ure."  The theme is Unwrapping Christmas, and today's gift is: the Body of Christ.

Jesus has saved us and placed us in a glorious fellowship of fellow believers - He is the head and we are the body. A passage from Colossians chapter 1 contains our theme Scripture verse:
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

The COVID pandemic is continuing to have its after-effects.  Just from a health standpoint, perhaps you have heard of or even experienced what's called "long-haul COVID."  Well, you could also say that in a number of areas of American life, there are long-term implications - there have been economic implications: the workforce has changed, for instance. Just recently, Congress passed a bill removing the vaccine mandates from our military, but there are still court cases against the mandates and the religious accommodations that were not granted.  

And, churches are continually facing "long-haul," real-life effects.  One church, in California, has continued to face threats of punishment in the form of fines for not complying with draconian lockdowns in the Golden State.  CBNNews.com reported recently:

After two years, Calvary Chapel San Jose has overcome another hurdle in its ongoing legal battle against Santa Clara County's enforcement of Gov. Gavin Newsom's COVID lockdowns. But there are still a few left to go.

The story referred to a report by the Los Angeles Times on a ruling by the California Supreme Court recently, that refused to allow the county to "force the church to pay $217,500 in fines after the church was found in contempt of court."  The article says:

As CBN News has reported, Calvary Chapel and its pastors were held in contempt and fined in 2020 and 2021 for defying state and county pandemic limits on indoor public gatherings.

But, as the story pointed out: "Calvary Chapel and Pastor Mike McClure are still facing $2.8 million in fines for not shutting down the church's worship services and for allowing people to come to pray at their building in person after Newsom tried to close churches statewide in 2020."  This is relative to a federal lawsuit the church had filed; the county had countersued.

The story states:

Santa Clara County officials are still demanding the church pay the fines, arguing that it violated health orders regardless of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in five separate cases that the government cannot treat houses of worship as second-class institutions with harsh penalties and restrictions that exceed the restrictions placed on "essential" businesses.

The CBN article also noted:

As CBN News reported last April, five California churches received a six-figure damage award after Santa Clara County tried to close them down.

The churches represented by the Pacific Justice Institute – in a joint effort with the Cannistraci Law Firm and McAllister Law Group – were Gateway City Church, The Home Church, The Spectrum Church, Orchard Community Church, and Trinity Bible Church.

The COVID pandemic had a potentially devastating effect on churches, and this church in California is facing the residual effects of its decision to reject the state's policies.  The effects of COVID on churches are varied, including perhaps churches experiencing the death of church members, and as a Christian Post article reported recently, based on a Lifeway Research survey, "Nearly three years after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns forced churches across the United States to shut their doors, many attendees have yet to return, even as the vast majority of churches have resumed in-person services."

As today's "gift" from the advent guide suggests, we need the body of Christ - and while virtual worship was a way to keep people together and continue to allow people to engage with God's Word through preaching and teaching, it's not quite the same as face-to-face interaction. 

Looking back, we can recognize that fear has driven policy and inhibited clear thinking in decision making.  That's the nature of fear, and Faith Radio adopted a theme during the coronavirus season of "Faith Over Fear."  Fear causes people to give up rights with the promise of safety, and there were not shortage of officials who allowed preyed on people's fears in order to control their decisions and alter their way of life.  People who desired to exercise their faith through church attendance and their decision over the COVID vaccine found themselves being penalized for standing on faith. 

Moving forward, we can be reminded that as the Church, we must continue to stand on our faith in the Lord. A Church that is full the power of the Holy Spirit and is united in our common zeal for God can be a conduit for God to do amazing things.