Is watching TV on Sunday really church? Maybe you’ve thought about this. Maybe you haven’t. But is it really church when we’re all sitting in our private homes?

My answer is Yes, and No.

Yes, it’s really church because church is the people of God, the followers of Jesus, the “called out ones” to use a literal translation of the Greek word, ekklesia, that is translated into the English word, church. Whether we’re scattered or gathered, we’re still followers of Jesus. We may feel like we’re exiled, but we’re still identified with him. We’re still men, women, students and children who are directed by the Great Commandment (to love one another), the Great Commission (to make disciples/followers of Jesus) into the Great Community (neither Jew nor Greek, slave or free, male or female).

But No, it’s not really church the way we tend to think of it. If the church is a community, we’re not communing very much. If the church is a body, we’re a bunch of parts flung across the map. If the church is the army of God, we’re individual soldiers stranded at our solo posts. If the church is a family, we’re all sitting in our individual bedrooms watching our screens waiting for someone to call us to the family dinner table.

But two statements from our leader Jesus come to mind in moments like these:

I will build my church.

With God all things are possible.

God is at work even now, even during the shutdown, even during the tensions and turmoil in our country. And yes, even while we’re socially distanced, and relying on Zoom calls. God is at work building his church. His followers are feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and housing the homeless. God is at work building his church which is advancing real justice in the dark corners of our communities. God is at work speaking into the hearts and minds of people just like you and me. With God, all things are possible, even being the church during a global lockdown.

We are moving forward together with God into the opportunities and unknowns of the coming year. This Sunday, at 7PM, we’re holding our annual Seneca Creek Celebration/Meeting. We want to remember and celebrate what God HAS been doing, and we want to share what we believe God is GOING to be doing in and thru this church in the coming year!

You’re invited to join us for this event. Because it’s an online event, you’ll need the Zoom link. Simply click here to register and receive the link. I look forward to joining with you this Sunday. Together we’re redefining what the church REALLY looks like in 2020 and beyond!

-Pastor Mark