When Congregations Can’t Meet (#726)

Will the identity of the church be diminished if it can't gather on Sunday mornings for the next few months? Some seem to think so, concluding that government closures of religious meetings make the statement that the church is not essential in our culture. How will all that come together this weekend on Easter Sunday, what some consider to be the most important service of the year? Kyle and Wayne look at some of the wacky theology being espoused by those who think that Sunday gatherings for Christians are a "religious requirement." What does it reveal about our understanding of the church and its place in the world?

Podcast Notes:
To Cancel or Not to Cancel - A statement by Christianity Today and the National Association of Evangelicals
Thousand Oaks Pastor Serves Communion
Kyle's New Podcast - Inspired Epic
Email Kyle
Past Podcasts with Kyle
The Latest from Kenya

5 Comments

  1. Thank you so much for doing these podcasts twice a week. I enjoy theses podcasts so very much.

  2. I ” second” Ruth! Appreciate the extra podcasts/conversations during this time Sue

  3. I think there is another aspect of the churches contrasting liquor stores with churches. I fully agree with the discussion in the podcast about couching a defense of opening churches in religious language as saying some things we all hope people really believe. . I think there is a much better way to present the essential nature of the church (and even perhaps to contrast with liquor stores).

    The reality is that the biggest problem churches face is likely to be financial. Well, the building and its structure is not the church. However, as much as we denigrate programs, there is a reality that some church programs and its social cohesiveness are important parts of life. They make a true contribution to American civilization. Therefore, I think churches would be better to be honest to say we (like others) may suffer permanent harm which is harm to our constituents and others we serve. Then a church could make a case for ways to keep enough together to avoid the total collapse of finances while avoiding large, dangerous crowds.

    The fact is that we don’t know how the coming depression will shake out in terms of what closes and what rises from the ashes. This applies to church organizations as well as many other businesses. Maybe the shaking will be ultimately God’s way to, as Isaiah says, bring “an increase to His government” to the church at large. Just as the shaking may bring some positive changes to other aspects of culture. But maybe the ultimate effect will be a society with less freedom and more government control – closer and closer to the Chinese Communist model. And maybe both.

  4. I find it strange that people only quote the first part of Psalm 91. What about verse 15 which says “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.

    The ” I will be with him in trouble” nobody wants to quote.

    On a another point. When my wife died in a accident, I complained to the Lord because I always prayed to keep my family safe. When He finally reminded me “Is she not safe”, I realised that In Christ whether in life or death we are safe in Him. He does not only care about our physical life but our eternal life in Him.

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