Can a virus renew the church?

On Friday morning, at the Assembly Trustees webinar, John Chalmers asked the question 'Can a virus renew the church?'

It is a great question to ask, one which many have been reflecting upon since the corona virus crisis began. COVID-19 has a huge impact on individuals, society and the church. So can this virus bring about the the renewal of the church?

COVID-19 has been a catalyst for change in the church The last 10 weeks have seen changes in the life of the church which it could have taken years to bring about. It has forced congregations to act in new ways in order to to facilitate worship, pastoral care and to serve the community. We have had to ask big questions about the nature of church, the purpose of buildings, the priorities of the gospel and the sustainability of congregations. These are all questions the church has needed to ask, and we have all come around to asking them at the same time, simply because of corona-virus. Of course asking the question is one thing, coming to an agreed answer is entirely different! How then are we to seek to navigate the way ahead? How do we drive ongoing renewal in the church?

We must not be driven by fear So much in society is. As we seek to navigate a way out of lockdown, we fear the impact on the economy and education, to name just two examples. Ultimately we fear a second spike, with the need to return to lockdown. Caution is wise, but there is a thin line between cautiousness and fear. And for the politicians I wonder if their caution is driven by fear of damage to their reputation and future votes?

As I listened into the webinar, I was pleased that I did not sense fear from either the Assembly or General Trustees or the CEO, Dave Kendall. Instead I saw people who had a handle on the reality of the situation, and a willingness make wise and pragmatic decisions in light of the financial and other impacts upon the church. It was refreshing to see the way in which they spotted the opportunities presented by the change that COVID-19 has been a catalyst in bringing about. And I thoroughly agree the church must not return to business as usual, as John Chalmers said we had 'too much invested in traditions and customs'.

Yet much of what was discussed was simply a filtering of many of the conversations in recent years. It was restating much of the change we know needs to take place. True, it had a different edge and was spoken into a new context, however the areas where familiar, the issues highlighted were not new. We need to be leaner (centrally, buildings), we need to have more robust presbytery planning, we need to grow online church. Statements, which at a high level we all agree with, but have proven difficult to bring about each time they have bubbled to the surface in recent years. Perhaps, then, as we see the pace of change increase, a virus can actually renew the church. Can it?

We must be shaped by faith. Faith is the obvious counter to fear. As we seek to renew the church we must act in faith not fear. We must have risk taking faith, that looks honestly at the fears we have, and then looks confidently to the God we serve.

When we speak of faith, the obvious question is - what is your faith in? Which brings us full circle - can a virus renew the church? Do we honestly say that our faith is in a virus? That sounds ridiculous, but it is a real danger, highlighted by the question posed by John Chalmers.

To place our faith in a virus is ludicrous - after all COVID-19 wasn't around a year ago. And right now, most of the world is seeking to extinguish it. Colossal amounts of time, money, and research are being invested into developing a vaccine so we can in essence defeat it. Why put our hope for renewal in something which is here today and gone tomorrow? Yes, this virus has brought about an opportunity, a kairos moment, it is a catalyst for change, but to see it as our hope - that is too far.

So, I place my faith in one who has been around longer. I have my hope resting in one who cannot be defeated. And as a church, we must ensure our faith for the future and our hope for renewal is firmly resting in Jesus Christ.

In Jesus Christ, we have one who has promised to 'build his church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' (Matt 16:18). He has been faithful to that promise, as his church grew from obscurity in Israel, to reach every nation of the world.

The church's advance began as his disciples obeyed the command to 'be his witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.' (Acts 1:8). They where enabled to do this through His Spirit, who dwelt in Jesus Christ and now dwells in his people - continuing to enable us to bear witness to Jesus Christ.

These are the two strands in the initial advance of the church, and these same two strands must be present to see the church today renewed and grow.

We must have confidence in the promises of God. He shall build his church. And as he uses us as his builders, we must be obedient to his command to bear witness to him. We must speak of Jesus Christ and display his love in action. We must tell all that Jesus life, death, resurrection and ascension has achieved for us today. As we do so, we shall see people respond in faith in him. His church shall be renewed and grow.

So, can a virus renew the church? In short no. It has had an impact, the church has changed. But as we look to the future, we must not place our hope in a virus nor some of the innovations this virus has forced us to develop.

Our hope must be in Jesus Christ.

Lord of the church, we pray for our renewing: Christ over all, our undivided aim. Fire of the Spirit, burn for our enduing, wind of the Spirit, fan the living flame! We turn to Christ amid our fear and failing, the will that lacks the courage to be free, the weary labours, all but unavailing, to bring us nearer what a church should be. Lord of the church, we seek a Father's blessing, a true repentance and a faith restored, a swift obedience and a new possessing, filled with the Holy Spirit of the Lord! We turn to Christ from all our restless striving, unnumbered voices with a single prayer: the living water for our souls' reviving, in Christ to live, and love and serve and care. Lord of the church, we long for our uniting, true to one calling, by one vision stirred; one cross proclaiming and one creed reciting, one in the truth of Jesus and his word. So lead us on; till toil and trouble ended, one church triumphant one new song shall sing, to praise his glory, risen and ascended, Christ over all, the everlasting King!

Timothy Dudley-Smith