3 Dangers for the Post-Lockdown Church
Bath time can sometimes be quite an ordeal in the Hambleton household. Especially during the summer months when our son Elliott can play outside in the evenings, he can be very reluctant to come inside and go to the bath. However, after five minutes in the warm water and bubbles he becomes quite accustomed to it, thank you very much. He’s comfortable there, and wants to stay in a bit longer. In the end, getting him out of the bath can be even more difficult than it was to get him into it!
What bath time is to Elliott, lockdown is to the church. Going into lockdown was something done with a deep sense of reluctance; I’m not ashamed to say that I shed tears over the decision to suspend certain aspects of our ministry for those months. However, seeking to bring the church out of lockdown is an even more tricky path to negotiate. As I speak to ministers not just here in Northern Ireland but in other parts of the world as well, it is clear that so many are facing exactly the same challenges. One minister I know commented that after 35 years of pastoral ministry, he has never known pressure like the last year. These are difficult days for churches, and in this article I want to mention three spiritual dangers which face the post-lockdown church.
Apathy
Let’s be honest: in some ways lockdown made Sundays a more relaxed day for many. I don’t know who wrote the lyrics for Lionel Richie’s song, Easy Like Sunday Morning, but whoever it was they certainly weren’t used to getting a young family ready for church and out the door on time each Lord’s Day. Lockdown changed all that, for a while. For those Sundays when ‘church’ went online, people could sit at home watching from the comfort of their own sofa and slippers.
However, now that churches have (in most places) re-opened, there is a strong temptation for people to become apathetic about the spiritual discipline involved in setting aside Sundays as God commands: for resting from needless activity and gathering together for the public worship of God together with his people. Some may have become accustomed to the ‘luxury’ of lazy lockdown Lord’s Days. But skipping church is always a false economy: whatever time it frees up for us, it also robs us of spiritual refreshment, growth in grace, communion with God and his people, and the comfort, joy and encouragement of fellowship.
Apathy is the silent killer of churches: it lacks the heat of scandal and the noise of heresy, but nonetheless causes churches to dwindle and die a slow death. To those feeling apathetic about attending church at the moment, the words of Hebrews 10:23-25 are as pertinent as ever:
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 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.”
Anger
A second spiritual danger for the post-lockdown church is anger. Lockdown (and its accompanying restrictions) has had a polarising effect in society, and it is hard to find a congregation where this polarisation has not reared its ugly head in some way or another. People have strong feelings about the legitimacy, effectiveness and necessity of the restrictions we have lived under in recent months. On these issues, good and godly Christians may disagree. Take the controversial issue of masks in worship, for example. There is, I believe, a variety of legitimate approaches that Christians may take to masks in worship. For one person, it is our duty to obey the authorities and love our neighbour by wearing masks at church. For another person, they may feel that the state has over-stepped its remit by meddling in acts of Christian worship. That’s fair enough – let each be fully convinced in his own mind.
A far more pressing matter, though, is how we relate to brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we disagree on these things. Will we allow the angry, divisive polarisation that has come to characterise today’s society become a characteristic of the church as well? As Paul points out in Ephesians 4:26-27, our anger is not necessarily sinful (though it often is), but it is a way that Satan seeks to get a foothold in the church and divide Christians from one another by setting them against one another. To the Christian feeling angry about things at the moment, the grace of the gospel is the remedy we all need:
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32)
Anxiety
A third and final spiritual danger for the post-lockdown church is anxiety. For many people, the last 15 months has been an anxious time – especially for those who already struggled with anxiety, or who are vulnerable due to poor health, or who are caring for elderly relatives. Many are still anxious about being out and about once again, including coming out to public worship and taking a full part in the life of the church.
The bible acknowledges that Christians may struggle with feelings of anxiety, and many do. Space here does not allow for a full treatment of the complex issue of anxiety, but suffice to say that the New Testament sets before us four main helps for the Christian struggling with anxious thoughts: the providence of God the Father (Matthew 6:25ff), the presence of the Lord (Philippians 4:5), a life of prayer (Philippians 4:6), and the peace of God guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
As we gradually emerge from lockdown, may God protect us and our churches from the spiritual dangers of apathy, anger and anxiety. May he give us renewed zeal for his glory, grace in our relationships with one another, and peace in our hearts.
Right, I’d better go. It’s bath time…
Andy is the Minister of Crumlin Evangelical Presbyterian Church
