Last Sunday, our church used a fabulous Easter hymn, written by popular hymn writer Carolyn Winfrey Gillette especially for 2020. It applies during this time of social isolation:
Tomorrow, I want to write about the lines from the third stanza: “With sanctuaries empty, may homes become the place we ponder resurrection and celebrate your grace.”
But for today, let’s meditate on the last stanza, which correctly describes what churches ought always to be:
A scattered, faithful body that’s doing ministry. In homes and in the places of help and healing, too, we live the Easter message by gladly serving you.
There are two excellent books challenging churches to major on scattered as much as they do on gathered. I recommend them both.
- And: The Gathered and Scattered Church by Hugh Halter
- Scattered and Gathered by Neil Hudson
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. (Acts 8.1, 4, ESV, emphasis mine)
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia… (1 Peter 1.1, NIV)
John 16:32 (NIV) A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
I was studying this verse today and see where Jesus shared this idea with the disciples at the last supper. That is the notion of being “scattered, each to your own home.”
Right on, James! You and our pastor are on the same page. Check out this blog and also the one that publishes on May 1.