Uncancelable!

Well, we’ve been meeting in person at the Petersburg First Baptist Church building for worship for four weeks now, and yes, it’s a little stilted still, a little awkward, a little different, but it’s all good.

To be honest, I was getting pretty exhausted with recording our services, preaching to a lifeless camera which never once cracked a smile at my attempts toward humor or gave me an “Amen!” or even shot back a quizzical look over a point I was trying to make. There’s nothing like communicating to an actual live congregation!

There’s a reason God calls His people to assemble themselves together regularly. We need each other. We need the face to face interaction, the eye contact, the smiles, the body language. We need the security of just being together, the sense of unity, acceptance, and fellowship. We need the experience of God’s presence permeating the hearts of those who gather in the name of the Lord to pray, sing, and hear His voice through His Word.

Now, I fully realize that not everyone feels comfortable with coming back to the building yet for health concerns, and I wholeheartedly respect that decision. While we are doing our best to keep all necessary safety measures in place, some people may need to keep opting out for a while. And those in the higher risk categories ought to carefully evaluate the risks.

Also, if you are sick, or if someone in your family is sick, then we would politely ask you to stay home. We’re still live-streaming our services on Facebook and uploading them to YouTube and our website where you can watch from home at your convenience.

Maybe it’s an overabundance of caution, maybe it’s not enough. All I know is that God is in control of all things and He is our help in all things, so we’ll keep looking to Him for wisdom, guidance, and grace, and seek to be faithful to His leading.

Either way, we are reminded that the church is not just the one-hour Sunday morning crowd. In fact, I’ve been encouraged and delighted to see many ways in which the people of God continue living in faith, serving one another in love, and shining out the gospel of Jesus.

Indeed, the church is un-cancelable!

Jesus declared, “Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18

Friend, if you belong to Jesus then let me urge you to renew your devotion to the Lord and to His church. Whether you’re able to meet in person with us (or your own local church), or whether you need to stay home during this season, keep walking in step with the Holy Spirit according to the truth of God’s Word, as we strive to “be” the church and not just people who “go” to church!

And if you’re looking for a church home, we’d love to welcome you.