Day Twelve of Being Closed - Church is?

In church circles there are particular phrases that come in and out of fashion down through the decades. A little while back one of these was 'Church Without Walls.' It was a call to make sure that we didn't stay in one place, in one building, in one concentration of holiness that could make no impact on the world around us. There was a comment that the Devil was rather keen on church buildings because they kept all the Christians off the streets and out of the way. So this was desire to see us move out from our buildings and into the life of the world.

Well who knew that we would need a crisis like this to force us to take this seriously. For we have now officially left the building, which is locked up and alarmed, the heating switched off, the fridge cleared of food and all the bins emptied. I cannot go there to pray alone by myself and we certainly can't gather to meet to worship.

So for the second week we have Facebook live-streamed our service this morning. Last week we were at church with some tech support. This week we were in my study, Debs and I, hoping and praying that all would go well. This seems to be the best way for us to do church at the moment. There is the element of the immediate and something authentic that you lose in a recording. But it is also a bit scary. I must admit that I have looked at little video articles about how to talk to camera. Most of it is common sense. I tell myself that this is what I do every Sunday morning. Yet there is something different in talking to a camera on a format that will be saved for all posterity to see. It went well. Debs did great and despite the small mistakes we got good reviews.

So, we are now officially a church without walls. We are church scattered and isolated in many spaces and places. Yet we can still be God's people. His Presence is still with us. We can make an impact in the lives of our neighbours who before this we did not know. Debs has started a WhatsApp group for our short road and we have people from 16 out of 22 houses joined up. Today I sent news of my preaching to a group of friends from my days as a veterinary surgeon and a few of them watched and left comments.

Let's make sure that these days help to redefine what church is. For every crisis is a challenge loaded with opportunity. As Paul says to the Christians in a city in Asia before church buildings were even invented and where sporadic persecution was the normal way of life - Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people. Galatians 6.10.