Shelter in Place

Dear Church,

Things are changing so rapidly making it incredibly hard to predict where we will be in the coming weeks as a community or even as families, and individuals. It looks like all of us should be making long-term plans for a new normal. We want to give you helpful resources to cultivate that new normal, setting new rhythms, and taking advantage of this opportunity. 

First, in order to do that we will probably have to change our minds and perspectives on this whole situation. We can bemoan that this ever happened, living in denial that we can’t go to work, that our children are now “homeschooled,” and that we cannot gather on a Sunday morning to worship. We can give in to panic and hysteria, we can hoard everything in greed and in fear, we can defy the governing authorities’ power over us as Americans or as Christians. Or we can step back and ask, “God, what are you doing and how can I join you in that work?” What does God want to do in me? What does God want to do in my family unit? How does God want to use me to engage my neighbors with his hope and peace? As followers of Jesus we should be seeing this as an incredible discipleship opportunity.

We have been talking so much about our intentional rhythms as followers of Jesus. This is an incredible opportunity to slow down and engage our own discipleship and our responsibility to disciple those around us in a focused and intentional way.

We are experiencing something unprecedented for our time. Every nation under heaven is being affected by the social, economic, mental and emotional upheaval of this virus. What if God is allowing every nation to be shaken so that there might be an incredible harvest for the kingdom of God? What if God is allowing a purging for his people from our apathy and spiritual lethargy so that we engage with our Gospel in a fresh and renewed way?

What if this is something like what the prophet Haggai foretold?

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty.”(Haggai 2:6-7) 

The writer of the book of Hebrews comments on this passage saying,

"This phrase, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:27-29)

The people of God have seen upheaval again and again throughout history - a shaking of what can be shaken. We are living now in a "liminal space” where we have left what is comfortable, tried and true and have yet to enter into the new normal. We Humans hate to be in this space but our God can do incredible things in us and through us as we get our eyes off of every false hope, letting go and fixing our eyes and hearts on him. 

Engage this moment!

What if we as God’s people gave ourselves over to our God and his Gospel in this moment? Rather than binge watching all the fresh content that is being offered to us in order to cope? What if we engaged with this moment head on? Determined to re-engage our discipleship to Jesus. Determined to be with Jesus, to become like Jesus, in order to do what Jesus did. Determined to walk our children through this moment; engaging their fears and questions with grace, showing them what real faith in Jesus Christ looks like. Determined to be a beacon of hope and peace to our neighbors and in our community.

Our God is faithful and he will remain faithful. Keep your eyes on him.

We have gathered numerous resources in order to help you engage this moment, to walk out faithfulness to Jesus in the midst of this upheaval.

These are simple recommendations or suggestions for Sunday worship or any other time you set aside to intentionally worship this week. They are adaptable for a variety of situations - a large family, a house of roommates, or an individual. We hope and pray that they shape faith, hope and love in your life.

- The Elders of Refuge Christian Fellowship