The Essential Church
IN THIS WORLD OF ESSENTIALS, we have Essential Oils (5 quarts of motor oil?), the 'Essential Van Morrison' album compilation, and since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, our government seems to MANDATE everything else it deems 'ESSENTIAL'.
During Covid-19-mandated lockdowns, it was a disturbing twist of irony where our secular society determined Essential Services.
Liquor stores and Planned Parenthood remained open and deemed ‘essential’, while churches were non-essential, and we dared not meet in person.
You could buy 'WEED' to smoke (essential), but could not buy 'WEED KILLER' (non-essential) at the local garden center.
Ok, my point is not to focus on COVID-19 and our many opinions around masks and lockdowns. Still, I want to use it to highlight the upside-down priorities of our society. And remember, once we could meet at church, we were still asked to wear masks. Worshipping with masks was a muted, sad expression, sounding like a chorus of 'Charlie Brown's teachers' rather than anything angelic.
With COVID-19 in my rearview, and no matter how well we all dealt with it, I pray we can agree that the CHURCH IS ESSENTIAL. No, I did not say 'any church is perfect, but it is essential. The church is intended to be the spiritual family, the body of Christ, as described in 1 Corinthians 12:25-31
25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individual members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
When we function as one body, considering each other important, then we are the Essential Church God calls us to be for each other and our world.
So I pray that God’s Essential Church has an uncompromised revival and impact.
Jeff (Essential Back Pew) Larson
