April 20, 2020 (updated April 29, below)
Jesus gives us ears to hear and eyes to see. Let’s use them to see where God is at work in this time of COVID-19. There is grief and loss, and there is creativity and joy. I’m amazed at the new ways our congregations are expressing their faith. God is doing a new thing through you! I know you can see it, so let’s capture it in words.
I invite you to step back and reflect. What are you seeing? What are you hearing? I’ve developed the worksheet below to guide our reflection. The initial question is:
What have you noticed about your congregation’s response to this time of COVID-19? What are you seeing in, or hearing from your congregation?
Once you’ve thought of something, move through the follow up questions:
What does this response indicate your congregation treasures/values?
What possibilities might God open-up if you lead your congregation to pursue the core value or behavior revealed in this response to COVID-19 after the shelter-in-place restrictions are lifted?
What are the first steps you need to take?
Who will take them? When? How?
The examples I’ve put below are real – I didn’t make these up! This is what I’m seeing and hearing, and this is what I think building on these things could mean for God’s church! The worksheet will help us organize our thoughts into the three relationships a vital church sustains: Love for God, love for one another and love for neighbor.
What are you seeing? What are you hearing? What do you think God can do with that?
Please respond to this in the comments below. I’ll update the chart weekly with your input.
Your in the mission of God in every season
Marj
*Matthew 13:9
Update April 29, 2020
Let those of you with ears, listen!*
I’ve heard congregations who disliked change – so much they used to complain if a hymn was played at a new tempo – comment that online worship is “tremendous.”
If that ain’t God – well then, we have nothing to talk about.
I’ve seen congregations so committed to their neighbors that they made major changes from the way they’d always done thing to figure out how they could continue to feed folks as safely as possible.
If that ain’t God – well then, we have nothing to talk about.
We need to throw out that old joke about Lutherans changing a light bulb – it just isn’t true! God is doing a new thing and you are seeing it! You are hearing it! And you are joining in!
We started this conversation a week or so ago, and three of you took the time to add to our conversation! Thank you!! Let’s keep it going. Spend some time reading through the table below and let it inspire you to see and hear what God is doing in your congregation. What do you see? I invite you to step back and reflect. What are you seeing? What are you hearing?
I’ve developed the worksheet below to guide our reflection. The initial question is:
What have you noticed about your congregation’s response to this time of COVID-19? What are you seeing in, or hearing from your congregation?
Once you’ve thought of something, move through the follow up questions:
-What does this response indicate your congregation treasures/values?
-What possibilities might God open-up if you lead your congregation to pursue the core value or behavior revealed in this response to COVID-19 after the shelter-in-place restrictions are lifted?
-What are the first steps you need to take? Who will take them? When? How?
The examples below are things that folks contributed last week. The worksheet organizes our thoughts into the three relationships a vital church sustains: Love for God, love for one another and love for neighbor.
Please respond to this in the comments below. I’ll update the chart next week with your input.
Yours in the mission of God in every season
Marj
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