We have found ourselves in a place none of us saw coming. Due to the COVID-19 virus, we all are experiencing an interruption to our normal lives. Let’s acknowledge it, together. Take a deep breath and say to yourself, “This is not normal, but this is real.” The routine of our lives has been hijacked. Our days no longer consist of going into work, sending our kids to school, getting together with friends, hitting the gym, enjoying our kid’s soccer game, or attending a church gathering (in person). The routine is gone. The simplicity of knowing how each day would play out is gone. We don’t have control anymore.
I serve as the Worship Pastor here at Crossroads Church. I love what I do. I help craft services each week with the singular goal of connecting people to Jesus! Leading the Church to a place of encountering Jesus is my greatest passion. Now it’s gone. The in-person gatherings have now become a handful of us on a stage leading to an empty room. Here’s what we believe though, God is not dependent on His Church gathering in-person for lives to be changed. Read that again. God is NOT dependent on His Church gathering in-person for lives to change. Don’t get me wrong, He loves it. It was His idea! He created us to desire community, connection, and the intimacy that comes from being together. But God is not scrambling around in this moment, pacing the floor and wondering how He can continue speaking to people. He is still in the business of changing lives and bringing hope to a world in desperate need of hope.
I want to take a few minutes and encourage us on how we can have church at home during this season. Here’s what we believe, we are the Church! The buildings we gather in are not the Church. The only reason they have any significance is because we gather in them. WE are the Church. Every time we gather, whether in person or online, we are the Church.
Here is some practical advice on how to be the Church and gather while we are online.
Get Up and Get Ready
Really? Get up and get ready? Yes. I said I wanted to give practical advice. Get up and get ready. Set your alarm. Take a shower. Eat breakfast. Get your kids ready. Get up and get ready.
Routine in this season is important. Make this a practice in your life. Don’t miss this. The most practical practices will help you with the best spiritual disciplines. You cannot meet with God if you are groggy and unfocused. So get up and get ready. Set the example for everyone around you. Say this with me, “I will get up and get ready to meet with God!”
Gather Who You Can
Yes, you read that correctly. Gather who you can. Whoever is home with you pull them in on the gathering. It’s not about numbers, it’s about togetherness. So get everyone together that you can.
Here’s an idea, set up a watch party on Facebook live. Invite your friends into the chat. Share the service you are watching. Bring others into the conversation. God has designed us for community and what I call togetherness. We may not be able to physically be together, but we can still connect with each other.
We are better together. Let’s get together for our online weekend gatherings. Bring the kids along. Let’s meet in our living rooms, online, through text. Let’s join in together and gather together.
Eliminate Distractions
This may be the most practical and helpful thing we can do. Eliminate distractions. Turn off unneeded technology. Don’t have conversations about the day or week with those around you. Make your coffee ahead of time. Don’t be worrying about making lunch at this moment. You will take care of it shortly. Have the room cleaned and the toys and clothes put away.
It seems so unnecessary, right? Here’s the thing, our normal is to go to a building that is already prepared for us. A team of people works to do everything they can to eliminate distractions for us. They take care of our kids, they have coffee ready, they have the room cleaned and set, they make sure we can see and hear. They eliminate as many distractions as possible so we can encounter God and connect with Jesus and His church.
The very things distracting us will keep us from engaging with God. Cut out the distractions. We can’t hear a singular voice if everyone is speaking at once. We can’t see what we need to amongst the clutter of our lives.
Engage with the Music, Message, Prayer, and Giving
Alright, here are my tips on this. Whatever you are watching, cast it to the largest screen you have in your house. Put it front and center. Turn the volume up and get loud! Come on somebody, can I get an amen? Sing, and sing loud. Let’s lift our voices and praise God with everything we’ve got!
Open your Bibles and take notes. It’s one more practical step that brings spiritual discipline. Read along. Write down what God is saying. “Amen” and give feedback when something resonates with you. True story, when I run or am driving in my car I will amen and say, “Come on” to a point that resonates with me. I am sure people think I’m crazy, but I don’t care. I want to agree with the truth.
Pray. Don’t let the person on the screen be the only one praying. Pray. Pray passionately, boldly, and courageously. Pray out loud at that moment. Pray for your spouse, your kids, your parents, your city, your leaders, and the world. Prayer has always been a corporate practice of the Church. Let’s pray together, not just listen to prayers being prayed.
And give. Let’s never stop giving. In this season let’s be known for our generosity. Let’s give out of the overflow God is giving us. He will take care of us. Let me say that another way, He is taking care of you. Let’s lead the way in our generosity.
Continue the Conversation
Here’s what I want to end with. Continue the conversation with anyone and everyone you can. Remember this, we are the Church! Church isn’t a once a week gathering in a building. We are The Church. Wherever we are and whenever we gather.
Continue the conversation with your kids. Ask them what they learned that day. Ask them how they are feeling. Pray with them at that moment. Model being the Church. You are the Church.
Text people, host a Zoom hangout, start a Q & A on Facebook. Post your notes on Instagram. Do whatever you can to continue the conversation. Being the Church is not a one and done, once a week thing. It’s a daily lifestyle of loving God and loving others. So love others by talking about what God is speaking to you.
When all is said and done, and we are on the other side of this, here is my prayer: God will have spoken to every one of us, and we will know what it means to be in His presence. Do not miss this opportunity to grow in your faith and grow in being the Church. Let’s continue to gather, being the Church where we are, and lifting up Jesus!