We have made a strong case for the lawfulness of church gatherings during the COVID
pandemic. But what makes the church so
essential? Does God’s command not to forsake
assembling together (Hebrews 10: 25) extend to periods when our lives are at
risk such as the current pandemic? Does
regular church attendance actually improve the mental and spiritual health of
regular attenders? Finally, is it
selfish for Christians to gather for worship and risk spreading the virus? Let’s address this last question first.
Are
Church Attenders Being “Selfish?”
Adam Parker, Senior
Pastor of Evergreen Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Beaverton, Oregon, outlines
the logic used to oppose Christians who attend church during the pandemic. According to Parker, writing in reformation21
[Click HERE.]
the opposing logic goes like this:
(1) Lockdowns are meant to halt COVID-19 spread by eliminating unnecessary
gatherings.
(2) Church gatherings are unnecessary and ought to be halted to avoid risk of viral
spread.
(3) Christians who gather to worship are selfish spreaders of the virus.
(4) Selfishness is immoral; therefore, it is immoral to attend church
gatherings.
Parker disagrees with the above logic because any human activity short of total
isolation during the pandemic will cause some degree of risk. If any human activity short of total isolation
offers some risk, then two questions arise:
“What activities are “essential” enough to override the risk so that they should
be allowed to function during the pandemic?”
And, “Do in-person gatherings for worship provide enough benefit to be
considered “essential?”
Morality: Is the
Church Essential?
We have emphasized the valuable historic role of Christianity and the church in
the founding of America and in sustaining her through times of war and peace. We also lamented that our culture has been
adrift in stormy waters because we have forsaken biblical and moral principles necessary
to maintain strong marriages, families, churches, and government. Nevertheless, out of the stormy waves, Christ
still calls His followers to be a moral light of Truth and integrity, and to be
salt to challenge, preserve, and add flavor (Matthew 5: 13-16). God’s Word reminds us that He has no other plan
for establishing His kingdom than His church, the witness of the Gospel in word
and action by the “body of Christ” (1Corinthians 12:27).
In an earlier Oikonomia article, we have discussed the wider context for
how Christianity and the church maintain the spiritual and moral “health” of
our nation. See “How Firm Is Our
Foundation?” [Go HERE.]
The Scriptures in Hebrews 10: 19-39 provide a rich justification for the importance of Christ-followers regularly assembling together. Granted, for health reasons during the current pandemic, many are justified to remain at home and rely on online technology to “stay connected.” However, listed below are the Scripture-based activities and functions of a local church that are only fully realized when Christ-followers meet together in person for fellowship, learning, service, and evangelism.
Spirit-led obedience to the above points from the Book of Hebrews joins Christ-followers with other believers where God’s Spirit can work in wonderful ways. Meeting together is necessary to enrich fellowship, provide intimate times of prayer, and enliven worship through corporate singing and making melody together (Colossians 3: 16). In short, there is no substitute for Spirit-filled corporate worship because people of faith are drawn closer to each other and to God-- a prelude to the joy of heavenly worship for eternity (e.g. Revelation 5).The worship scene pictured here (right) is also captured in an online video which provides a sample of in-person worship in song and in responsive reading. Click HERE to view and imagine the joy of in-person participation that many readers long to experience again, especially those without online access.
Henri Nouwen in The Selfless Way of Christ (Orbis, 2007) expresses the important function of church in the life of the Christ-follower with strong implications for our culture:
The church is our first and foremost spiritual director. The church not only teaches us what to reflect on, what to pay attention to, and what to speak or think about, it also realizes in and through the liturgical discipline the Christ-event itself. What is truly taking place in our lives is not determined by the random ups and downs of our personal and communal lives, but rather by the events of Christ's life being realized among us in and through the church.
it is Christmas, Christ is being born;
it is Lent, Christ is suffering;
it is Holy Week, Christ is dying;
it is Easter, Christ is risen;
it is Pentecost, Christ is sending His Spirit.
That is what is truly happening!
Preparation of believers through in-person participation in church prepares them make priceless differences in our culture as individuals, and through strong marriages and families. Strong families prepare children to flourish and contribute positively to their communities instead of becoming a burden to the community and nation. Especially in times of national turmoil such as the 2020 pandemic, those who are spiritually grounded within family and the church will convey hope in God and Eternal Life which is a much-needed anchor in the midst of the current stormy sea of the pandemic.
Some may ask whether there are actual data to support the notion that church attendance favors human well-being. A recent Gallup Poll [Click HERE.] reveals that the COVID-19 pandemic has decreased the percentage of Americans who consider their mental health “excellent” when compared to respondents in a 2019 poll. In contrast, weekly church-attenders who answered “excellent mental health” increased from 42% in 2019 to 46% in 2020. These data support the belief that in-person worship services provide an “essential” service. [See above for more results from the Gallup Poll.]
What Do We Have to Fear?
Essential and priceless services of the church are not only proven through its support of the nuclear family, but also through the raising up of men and women of integrity to serve in education, government, science, and industry. Consequently, the Christian faith and the church have been instrumental in sustaining America through many crises—i.e. war, economic downturns, cultural upheavals. [See “The Church: Anchor in Our Storms” [Click HERE]]
The climate crisis is one of the biggest emergencies that our country has ever faced, and our time is running out. Americans are counting on Biden to lead accordingly. Let’s act boldly, and treat this crisis like the emergency it is. Click HERE to read more.
In my view, vision of the WEF is a godless attempt to establish a utopian society under a one-world government, a development that we know is predicted by biblical prophecy. However, such prophecies do not dismiss our responsibility as Christians to promote government that allows people to live peaceable lives in godliness and holiness (1 Timothy 2: 1-2.). At the same time, we also know from Scripture that God may call us to testify of His Gospel through suffering under tyranny as many of our brothers and sisters in the faith are now experiencing.
One-world government proponents view the church and Christianity as impediments. The truth of Scripture (Matthew 6: 24) that “no person can serve two masters” applies in the realms of both Christianity and in secular realms of power. A person who testifies an allegiance to God is a hindrance to the authority of any one-world leader. In light of the looming emergence of a godless one-world government that will threaten religious freedom, God’s command in Hebrews 10: 25 sounds all the more real and necessary (emphasis mine): not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
How About You?
We encourage you to post “Comments” describing how the church has influenced your life, or how essential you believe the church is especially during declared emergencies. Or, you may have a question or general comment. We’d love to hear from you. Just post a “Comment” below or e-mail us at silviusj@gmail.edu. If you aren't already a subscriber to Oikonomia, please send us your e-mail address using our e-mail (above) and we'll add you to our list to receive a reminder when new articles are posted. Or you can subscribe using Subscribe to Mailing List on the right side-bar (web version). Or, on your cell phone, click on View Web Version below and go to the right sidebar of web version to subscribe.
4 comments:
As always, John, you did a nice job of detailing what is not readily apparent on the surface the issue - in this case in-person church attendance.
There was a day we just obeyed God's word as we obeyed our parents. John 14:15 says "If you love me obey my commandments." We are to show we are His children by obeying Him. And "delayed obedience is disobedience."
Now our society (and Christianity) has "progressed" to the point we question "did God really say or mean that?" We demand the right to argue and get all the reasons behind God's guidance. We seem to think we're smarter than our Creator and Father. We FIND a passage that will justify our personal view to go along with the world instead of taking the road less travelled.
I'm surprised that even "mature" Christians have been wooed by the world's logic of what God really meant by "not forsaking the assembling together" in this "dangerous" COVID situation. These church "elders" are now acting as "the devil's advocates", using God's own words against Him and the Church.
Christian leaders are going to be held accountable some day for leading their flocks through the wide gate and the broad way - the easy way of obeying man rather than the narrow way of obeying God, choosing to give into fear rather than walking by faith. For a good reason James 3:1 says "Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly."
Thanks again, John, for staying Bible focused throughout this entire crisis of faith. Your example, even as you & Abby were put through the trial of having the virus yourselves, is encouraging and speaks volumes.
Thank you, Ken. Your comments testify of the Willing heart we should have. Putting our faith in the authority and wisdom of God's Word is becoming more and more essential as we face greater and greater threats to civilized society. Sadly, as you say, many Christian leaders are compromising it's message. Therefore, it is all the more important that we not give in to those who attempt to silence even polite Christian witness and evangelism.
Very impressive article and one of the most thorough looks at these issues that I've encountered. Gratitude to Dr. Silvius for investing the time and effort.
We are living in very divisive times, and I can't help but come back to WWJD. What Would Jesus Do? And in doing so, we must remember that it is important to overlay Scripture with culture. The Bible evidences how God's relations to humans evolved over time as culture and technology changed, and we must also take that into consideration. Jesus didn't give us direct guidance on how many hours per day our children should be on their mobile devices.
Can I get a LOL on that?
Would Jesus have had an issue with folks watching a sermon on TV? Or a Zoom small group meeting? While there is an undeniable value in person-to-person interaction/worship, it must be balanced with health science, and in times when that may not be deemed the safest option, I think we can use other means of maintaining the benefits of "gathering in His name" while respecting risk factors in a pandemic.
The issue of the government's role in prohibiting worship gathering is a tricky topic. When you join a society, you give up rights for the better of the society. I frankly am happy that my neighbor is not allowed to experiment with explosives in his back yard (although I might wonder at times when he barbeques). I have friends suffering in Michigan because their restaurants are shuttered for in-person dining. It's a tough situation to address and not "one size fits all."
I enjoy going to football games at Michigan Stadium, and unfortunately, I cannot take my camera bag into the stadium. Why? Because while I would never attempt to blow up the stadium, someone might. It's the few that ruin it for the many. And while we'd like to think that churches shouldn't be subject to government rules in pandemic, that would work only if appropriate science-based actions were taken by ALL (social distancing when singing, avoiding high risk contact, and most importantly, staying home when showing symptoms). But unfortunately, that's not realistic. There will be the few that put others at risk. So as long as reputable science supports the risk of COVID, I'm okay with churches falling under guidance rules relating large gatherings, just like rock concerts, sporting events and other activities that we all are learning to live without for the time being.
As in any time of challenge, we can cower, complain and disrupt or we can embrace, encourage and innovate!
Thank you, Brad, for your well-reasoned comments. You've added much for readers to reflect upon as we continue to seek to behave wisely toward God, our government, and our neighbor. Reading your comments reminds me of the fundamental importance of the Great Commandment which calls us to love God above all else, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Taking this Commandment to heart is an important factor in our attempts to discern what actions we should and should not take and seek dialogue with one another in a civil and respectful manner.
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