As I write I am also watching the uploaded streaming of Sarah and Robert’s wedding. What a blessing to be involved with them and to serve them in this way. I know you all join with me in prayer for the Lord’s blessing on their married life, their growth in the Lord’s grace together, their developing usefulness in serving the Lord together, as well as for their parents and family in this joyous time for all. Let us assure them that we continue to be their community of love and support year by year as God enables.
With thanks to God we were able to bring the wedding forward so as to avoid the reduction of only 5 people in total that today would’ve brought. Such a blessing to be with them on the day – and to relive it today. The beauty we see in this couple is more than the physical – it is the beauty of love for Christ.
As I write I am also mindful that this has been a difficult week for all of us.
We were looking forward to a further opening of restrictions and the increase opportunity of congregation and friends to come together at the church for worship, but as we all know this was not to be. Instead the situation was reversed as a second wave took hold across part of Melbourne to which the Government responded by reintroducing the previous employed close restriction category.
We have seen in the public and across social media a range of responses from annoyance (to put it kindly) to dismissive and on through acceptance to appreciation. As I was coming to terms with the return to close restrictions, I found the words from tomorrows NT reading a helpful caution to emotions and thoughts, as well as a gracious reminder of the divine perspective we are to maintain:
“Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you…” (Eph 3:13)
Paul describes himself in v.1 as “a prisoner of Christ Jesus” which does not merely point out that he was in prison on account of his faith in Christ, but under Christ. He sees himself not as a prisoner of circumstances which lasted for some 5 years, nor the prisoner of men (though various people were involved in continuing his imprisonment) but of Christ. He knew that this life, his life, and every aspect of his life was ultimately and totally in Christ’s hands, and he was happy to have it there as he trusted him with it.
When we have that perspective, we won’t lose heart and we won’t despair over what is happening or might yet in the future. Fear will give way to love, frustration to patience, criticism to helpfulness, annoyance to kindness.
‘In response to suffering, Paul adopts an attitude that offers far more comfort and hope than the ‘stay positive’ messaging fed to us today. He says that his suffering, his despairing of life, his afflictions, were lessons which taught him to rely on God and not himself.’ (Renee Tan on 2 Cor 1:8-9)
It is so easy to get caught in the social media whirlpool and the sensationalising tendency of news media reports – even to find ourselves ‘cancelling’ those who disagree with us (the new totalitarianism of abusing and shaming opponents). But that ought not to be among us. Even when we assert our views which we hold dearly we should not be unmindful of how others might take the way we are presenting them and indeed ourselves.
In this time and how we respond Christians surely are to show the true nature of kindness, tolerance, respectfulness in such matters and manners. We are to show that we rely on God and not ourselves, that we find our hope in Him who holds us not only with power but in love.
Think about who may be watching you, and it may be others than we think, to see how your faith works out in practice. Think about that God is with you not just watching you – what are you saying to Him as well as about Him?
May God give us all His grace not only to sustain and keep us in the extended and in some ways deepened trial, but to use the trial to draw attention to His goodness and the greatness of His mercy and love.
What a privilege to come together in worship even in such difficult times, and especially in such times.
Together in Christ’s love and service,
John