Many people invest into many things in their life.
Almost everyone invests into their homes, their retirement, their lifestyle, marriage, family, nation, community.
Many invest into their church.
I have done that repeatedly.
There is a practice in many churches wherein the pastor is addressed as "Pastor" as if that was his given name. I was, and am not, used to this practice. The first churches I joined believed in the "five-fold" ministry. Evangelist, pastor, teacher, prophet, apostle.
There is some discussion as to what these positions entail today, particularly prophet and apostle.
The pastorate is an office, not a title.
The pastor is another member of the local body with his own gifts, but is often the ruler.
I have invested physically, financially and emotionally in the church I have been involved with for over twenty years.
Leading construction projects, installing heating systems, maintaining the A/C, plumbing.
Teaching, befriending, interacting.
I am a teacher. I have been asked after ten minutes of conversation to teach a congregation in another church, because that is my calling. And I did for a couple years. But then we returned to the church we are presently in. Or have been in.
With Covid-19, our church, along with others in the state (and nation), closed it's doors.
While this seemed reasonable at the start, it soon became apparent that this was not reasonable and an intrusion on our religious liberty.
An acquaintance of mine, Professor William Wagner, whom I believe is going to be a closer acquaintance (if not friend) soon, sued the State of Michigan, and Governess Whitchmer rescinded her restraints on houses of worship immediately.
I was elated.
I'll be frank, our church has maintained social distancing for years. It has shrunk in size to where people sit together as families, but these groups have had 6' between them for years.
I thought for sure that our pastor, who I considered a friend, would open the doors, and I told him as much. He told me that he wasn't comfortable, that the surrounding community would think less of us for doing so. So we would wait.
I let him know that I wasn't comfortable being in a church that was afraid to meet together or would bow to the whim of the state.
I asked him if he had consulted the congregation and whether I had missed that e-mail.
When he said no, I asked him if he had consulted the board, the three deacons, of which I am not one because of my prior marriage and remarriage (something I believe is unscriptural and to which he later agreed).
He said no, but that he would.
He called me after that meeting and said that they had agreed with him to keep the doors closed a while longer, but that by this day (today) we would be meeting at church again.
I decided to be patient.
Today, "church" was held at the property. The worship team was in the building and played some songs to an empty room, which was broadcast on Facebook.
The congregation sat outside in their cars, watching (I imagine) on their phones.
The pastor then went out to the parking lot to preach, while the congregation listened on their car radios, or their phones.
I watched from my home. I would have been embarrassed to do otherwise.
I have embarrassed myself for Christ (and at other times because I'm an idiot) but this would be for neither of those reasons.
I hate to lose my investment in this church, but I have lost confidence in the "leadership" of the pastor.
He is a genuinely good guy. He is earnest and sincere.
But to sit in cars, watching a guy stand in front of their cars preach to them, at this point is ridiculous.
Jesus sent His disciples by twos to preach the good news, and to heal the sick. Presumably lepers were involved. I doubt they stood at a distance and yelled the good news to them. Or loudly called at them to be healed from six feet or more. With masks on. After applying Purex.
Thanks for listening.
addendum:
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
