Hello Midsouth Leaders and Friends,
This is real. We’re in the middle of a global health crisis. Because of the advances in medical science this crisis may feel unprecedented, but, actually, plagues, pestilences and wars have been part of human history since the beginning. Our present challenge is that it’s happening to us now. So what to do? We’ve sent several mailings with suggestions for best practices to protect yourselves, your families and your churches as we all try to “flatten the curve” of the spread of this disease. This UPDATE will focus primarily on the impact that COVID-19 has on our shared Midsouth events, as well as provide some resources to help Midsouth leaders navigate these next few months.
In the past few days we have seen a significant increase in online resources to help churches deal with the issues of online church, social distancing, school and business closings, limited social services, health care issues, etc. Here are two new posts from Christianity Today:
Seattle Churches Stop Meeting to Slow COVID-19
7 Lessons from Singapore Churches
We are scheduling a weekly Midsouth Pastors’ ZOOM Meeting @ 1:30pm Monday afternoon through Monday April 13, 2020 (day after Easter). We will send out weekly ZOOM invitations by 10:00am every Monday morning. Whoever is available to join the call is welcome. We had 10 people on the call last Monday. It was good and we agreed that ZOOMing weekly would be a helpful practice for Midsouth pastors during this season of disequilibrium and disorientation. See you next Monday 3/23/20 @ 1:30pm.
As things seem to be changing by the hour, we want to be diligent in our communication and encouragement to you all. We may “over-communicate” just to keep in touch and be helpful. We will be especially reaching out to Midsouth pastors and staff teams to resource and encourage them.
In Matthew 16 Jesus declared “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” The local ekklesia (aka “called out people,” aka “church”) is the epicenter of God’s redemptive work in his world. Much noise is made by governments, politicians and the media, but the local church is the center of God’s purpose and plan. What does it mean that this global health crisis emerged during Lent? What does the Lord want us to know?
Here’s a reminder of our heritage and our opportunity in this challenging season. It’s from a letter written in the 2nd Century AD by a disciple named Mathetes to his friend Diognetus.
“Christians are not distinguished from other people by country, language, nor by the customs which they observe. They do not inhabit cities of their own, use a particular way of speaking, nor lead a life marked out by any curiosity. The course of conduct they follow has not been devised by the speculation and deliberation of inquisitive men. The do not, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of merely human doctrines.
Instead, they inhabit both Greek and barbarian cities, however things have fallen to each of them. And it is while following the customs of the natives in clothing, food, and the rest of ordinary life that they display to us their wonderful and admittedly striking way of life.
They live in their own countries, but they do so as those who are just passing through. As citizens they participate in everything with others, yet they endure everything as if they were foreigners. Every foreign land is like their homeland to them, and every land of their birth is like a land of strangers.
They marry, like everyone else, and they have children, but they do not destroy their offspring.
They share a common table, but not a common bed.
They exist in the flesh, but they do not live by the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, all the while surpassing the laws by their lives.
They love all men and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned. They are put to death and restored to life.
They are poor, yet make many rich. They lack everything, yet they overflow in everything.
They are dishonored, and yet in their very dishonor they are glorified; they are spoken ill of and yet are justified; they are reviled but bless; they are insulted and repay the insult with honor; they do good, yet are punished as evildoers; when punished, they rejoice as if raised from the dead. They are assailed by the Jews as barbarians; they are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to give any reason for their hatred.
To sum it all up in one word, what the soul is in the body, that is what Christians are in the world.”
This is who we are. Thanks for your heroic leadership. It’s a privilege to serve with you…
This is real. We’re in the middle of a global health crisis. Because of the advances in medical science this crisis may feel unprecedented, but, actually, plagues, pestilences and wars have been part of human history since the beginning. Our present challenge is that it’s happening to us now. So what to do? We’ve sent several mailings with suggestions for best practices to protect yourselves, your families and your churches as we all try to “flatten the curve” of the spread of this disease. This UPDATE will focus primarily on the impact that COVID-19 has on our shared Midsouth events, as well as provide some resources to help Midsouth leaders navigate these next few months.
In the past few days we have seen a significant increase in online resources to help churches deal with the issues of online church, social distancing, school and business closings, limited social services, health care issues, etc. Here are two new posts from Christianity Today:
Seattle Churches Stop Meeting to Slow COVID-19
7 Lessons from Singapore Churches
We are scheduling a weekly Midsouth Pastors’ ZOOM Meeting @ 1:30pm Monday afternoon through Monday April 13, 2020 (day after Easter). We will send out weekly ZOOM invitations by 10:00am every Monday morning. Whoever is available to join the call is welcome. We had 10 people on the call last Monday. It was good and we agreed that ZOOMing weekly would be a helpful practice for Midsouth pastors during this season of disequilibrium and disorientation. See you next Monday 3/23/20 @ 1:30pm.
As things seem to be changing by the hour, we want to be diligent in our communication and encouragement to you all. We may “over-communicate” just to keep in touch and be helpful. We will be especially reaching out to Midsouth pastors and staff teams to resource and encourage them.
In Matthew 16 Jesus declared “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” The local ekklesia (aka “called out people,” aka “church”) is the epicenter of God’s redemptive work in his world. Much noise is made by governments, politicians and the media, but the local church is the center of God’s purpose and plan. What does it mean that this global health crisis emerged during Lent? What does the Lord want us to know?
Here’s a reminder of our heritage and our opportunity in this challenging season. It’s from a letter written in the 2nd Century AD by a disciple named Mathetes to his friend Diognetus.
“Christians are not distinguished from other people by country, language, nor by the customs which they observe. They do not inhabit cities of their own, use a particular way of speaking, nor lead a life marked out by any curiosity. The course of conduct they follow has not been devised by the speculation and deliberation of inquisitive men. The do not, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of merely human doctrines.
Instead, they inhabit both Greek and barbarian cities, however things have fallen to each of them. And it is while following the customs of the natives in clothing, food, and the rest of ordinary life that they display to us their wonderful and admittedly striking way of life.
They live in their own countries, but they do so as those who are just passing through. As citizens they participate in everything with others, yet they endure everything as if they were foreigners. Every foreign land is like their homeland to them, and every land of their birth is like a land of strangers.
They marry, like everyone else, and they have children, but they do not destroy their offspring.
They share a common table, but not a common bed.
They exist in the flesh, but they do not live by the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, all the while surpassing the laws by their lives.
They love all men and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned. They are put to death and restored to life.
They are poor, yet make many rich. They lack everything, yet they overflow in everything.
They are dishonored, and yet in their very dishonor they are glorified; they are spoken ill of and yet are justified; they are reviled but bless; they are insulted and repay the insult with honor; they do good, yet are punished as evildoers; when punished, they rejoice as if raised from the dead. They are assailed by the Jews as barbarians; they are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to give any reason for their hatred.
To sum it all up in one word, what the soul is in the body, that is what Christians are in the world.”
This is who we are. Thanks for your heroic leadership. It’s a privilege to serve with you…