June 9th, 2020
Dear Church Family,
We have now been gathering online and in virtual fellowship rooms for nearly four months. I have been deeply grateful to God for the means of technology allowing us to stay connected. However, as your pastor, I must remind us all of something we already know: watching church services and bible studies online is not church. It is a reasonable facsimile in the short term or in extreme cases.
The church is the locally gathered people of God representing God’s people around the world and throughout time. Think of it as a sampling. No one church is the sum total of the body of Christ. It is the same as a glass dipped into Lake Ontario and filled to the brim is not all of Lake Ontario, but rather a smaller, gathered, sample of Lake Ontario.
The writer to the Hebrews cautions Christians against thinking that they can neglect gathering and still be the church. In Hebrews 10:24-25 he writes, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
Our Anglican tradition also gives language to this in Article 19 saying, “…the visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men (people), in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered…” The physical gathering of the church serves as a witness to our own church family and to the world.
So, while we are thankful for the virtual means of gathering, they will never replace our God-given imperative to gather.
Even common wisdom reinforces this truth. At times when I must travel for ministry work I try to call Monica regularly. I cherish the times when, although apart, we can even see each other on FaceTime. Still, however sweet and assuring those FaceTime calls may be, they never satisfy and never diminish my longing to be back with her face-to-face.
Our provincial government has now given us permission to begin gathering again in person. You can read the guidelines here: https://files.ontario.ca/mof-framework-reopening-province-stage-2-en-2020-06-08.pdf.
Your pastoral team and leaders rejoiced to hear that the day when we can gather together as the church is closer than it was yesterday. However, at the same time, we seek to exercise an abundance of caution. We will take our time to prayerfully plan our regathering for two main reasons.
First, we will always place the safety of our church family high in our priorities.
Second, we will take an approach to regathering that will seek to bring no reproach upon the gospel or upon the church.
Neither of these values stem from a lack of faith or courage, but rather a higher competing value. As much as we long to gather, we place a higher value on loving our neighbours (Mark 12:31) and deferring to the weaker brother (Romans 14, v. 19 in particular).
For this reason, we will take this week to pray and plan the next season in our life together.
In whatever way and whatever time we decide to regather please hold this in mind. Those who will choose not to gather due to increased vulnerability or even just concern and conscience are not to be judged as having less faith or trust in the Lord. Conversely, those who will choose to gather are not doing so from a lack of care or concern for the vulnerable. Even as we begin to regather in person we will continue to provide online ways for the concerned or vulnerable members of our church family to participate in worship, fellowship and prayer. I cannot say this strongly enough. No one at St. George’s will ever think less of another for either choosing to gather or choosing to stay away for a time. Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” How we love one another through this time will serve as our Christian witness to each other and to the watching world.
Our leadership teams are meeting throughout this week to pray and plan. Please keep an eye on your inbox for updates and upcoming online Town Hall meetings. This Sunday will be the same as what we have been doing for the past few months. We anticipate regathering in some fashion beginning next week.
Please remember that none of this has taken Jesus by surprise. He has a good plan that He is working out through this and in us. To Him alone be all glory.
With love and in the gospel,
R.D.
