Open Your Churches

I have been reading and responding to so many emails sent the the church in support of Pastor James (and his family and the church). There has been so much love in these emails; there are so many people praying; and there are so many who desire to help in some way. It has been a great blessing to me to read them.

There has also been one other common theme: People are hurting because they can't gather as the body of Christ to worship together. Some churches only allow a few people in; others haven't been open in almost a year now. They have spoken to their pastors and been told that no, they can't open their churches. And now they are feeling alone, sometimes abandoned, and always so sad. 

Listen: maybe there are reasons to keep a church closed, or to only allow a handful of people. Maybe you think you're caring more for the people by trying to protect them from illness, or maybe you genuinely think that it's better to follow the guidelines when they tell you not to gather, or maybe you just haven't taken the time to think (and pray) about the best response to things. Maybe you don't want to pay the price of opening your church (after all, they put my pastor in jail). I don't know.

This is what I do know: The sheep are hurting, and as their shepherds, it's your job to care for them no matter what the government tells you. I know the sheep are hurting because they have told me over and over. I know it's your job to care for them because that's what the Bible teaches (1 Peter 5:2), and you cannot shepherd a flock if you are not with them. You can try (I know you're trying), and you can partly care for them (livestreaming can only do so much), but they need to be together, to worship together, to fellowship with one another. They need to do everything the Bible calls us to do.

I have prayed for some many hurting people over the past few days as I've read the emails. I have hurt for them and cried for them because they cannot have the fellowship they seek, because they cannot worship with God's family. This should not be.

Please, pastors, open your churches.