Dear Hope Church,
Are you sick of Zoom yet? I am and I think we all are to one degree or another. Human beings are created for real, embodied interaction. And since this is God's design, we naturally find digital interaction deeply unsatisfying. But if you think about it, that reaction is good! We should long for real, in-person worship, fellowship, prayer, and Bible study. In fact, I would be far more worried if we all said, "You know...this is better than meeting in the flesh."
However, I still encourage us not to neglect the digital "gathering of ourselves together." Hebrews 10:24-25, which I’ve mentioned before, says,
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV).
So notice what this passage is telling us: we should "stir one another up to love and good works," while also " encouraging one another." And the means for doing all of this, according to verse 25, is "gathering of [ourselves] together," which we shouldn't neglect "as is the habit of some."
Now there are lots of ways to encourage and stir one another up to love and good works during this global pandemic. We can write letters to others in the church. We can send encouraging emails. We can give a friendly call to check in. We can drop off food. We can serve in practical ways. We can pray. But all this is easier when we have a visible, corporate connection on Zoom during the week.
So here are four reasons to persevere with Zoom gatherings until we can meet again:
Zoom gatherings offer a place where we can see, hear, and pray with other members of the Body. I know this is encouraging to me, and there’s not a good way to experience this without Zoom.
Zoom gatherings give us an opportunity to hear struggles and needs in the community directly. This stirs us up naturally to prayer and service.
Zoom gatherings provide a place to hear the Word of God preached. Of course, you could go listen to John Piper sermons that are far better than mine (and I'm not being self-deprecating). But hearing a message from God's Word with other members of the same church at the same time is encouraging and stirs us up to love and good works. There's really no other substitute for it in the digital world.
Zoom gatherings provide a spiritual rhythm to our week. Yes, we could watch a message at 2 AM on Tuesday night. But there is something settling and encouraging about having a spiritual routine that mirrors the ordinary life of God’s people on the Lord’s Day.
But are Zoom gatherings perfect? No, of course not. Will they be a part of Hope's life forever? No, Lord willing they will end soon. But can God use them to strengthen, encourage, and stir us up to "love and good works" during this global pandemic? I sincerely believe they can! And to be honest, I have struggled to think of a better way of staying connected as a church until we meet again. It may exist, but I haven't found it yet.
Therefore, I encourage you to persevere. Don’t become isolated from others in Hope Church. And I recognize that Zoom isn't for everyone. But if you can't join the Zoom gatherings (for whatever reason), I would encourage you to take extra steps to make up for the difference. I can share Hope's directory, so that you can call people from the church on a regular basis. Also, consider taking time to pray for specific needs in the church. And find a way to create a spiritual routine where you sit down at the same time on the Lord's Day in order to pray and listen to a sermon from God’s Word.
I’m thankful for each and every one of you! And just so you know, I’m creating a detailed plan with our session to map out what it will look like to safely resume public worship as soon as possible. Be looking for that and pray for wisdom as we think through all of these issues biblically, theologically, ecclesiologically, pastorally, and evangelistically.
In Christ,
Pastor Will
610-715-7492