Person-2-Person - January, 2021

“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” – Mother Teresa

Like many of their fellow ministers, two rural Missouri pastors are struggling with the realities of ministering during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mike Leake pastors Calvary of Neosho, a primarily white Baptist church, while Joshua Manning pastors Community Baptist Church in Noel, which offers services for five international congregations totaling about 200 people. The two churches are about thirty miles—and a world—apart.

On a typical Sunday, Manning’s job involves multiple back-to-back services. He says that the pandemic has brought about a revival of faith, with a record number of people being baptized among his various congregations. “The spiritual hunger of people is very different than what it was before,” he said.

Leake has encouraged members of Calvary to wear masks but hasn’t mandated it, and the majority don’t wear them. He says, “If you had a mask mandate, you’d have people leave your church. By the same token, you’d have some people leaving if you don’t mandate masks.” Meanwhile, he says, “Some weeks I don’t know a single pastor who wants to be pastoring right now.”

At our church, we’re fortunate to have a pastoral team who genuinely want to be the shepherds to our small but faithful flock, although I’m sure there are times when their enthusiasm flags. While the absence of in-person worship has been difficult, there are valid reasons why we must remain apart for now. Until a substantial portion of the US and local population has received the coronavirus vaccine, we can’t afford to return to our old ways of doing things. It can be difficult to find signs of hope in a time of pandemic but as persons of faith we have an advantage that others don’t (Phil. 4:6-7).

This Christmas, along with the usual cards, Charlotte and I also received Rev. Robert Woods’ annual Christmas letter. In it, he reminds us that God didn’t practice “social distancing.” Instead, God came right into our midst: “But these seasons . . . of the Christian year can help you focus our attention afresh on the truth that God chose not to observe any social distance toward us. Instead we have the matchless heaven-sent event of the first Christmas. We rejoice to receive this gift of gifts, namely Jesus our ‘Emmanuel (which means God with us)’ (Matthew 1:23 NRSV). And we hear the mature Jesus—with no heed to social distance—call, ‘Come to me all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’ (Matthew 11:28 NRSV).”

God, in Jesus, touched people who were sick. He ate with outcasts. He associated with “sinners.” Humanity was suffering from a “pandemic” called “sin,” and it still is. Everyone has it (Rom. 3:23). And God’s grace is the cure (Rom. 8:1-4). But Jesus didn’t avoid people who were afflicted with it. Instead, he said, “‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.’” (Matt. 9:12b NRSV).

Our hope for the coming year is predicated on a vaccine for coronavirus but our hope for eternity is predicated on God’s grace (Rom. 5:8). Paul wrote, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Rom. 8:35 NRSV). He could easily have added “pandemics.” None of these earthly situations can have any effect on our eternal hope.

The psalmist wrote, “For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler / and from the deadly pestilence; . . . You will not fear the terror of the night, / or the arrow that flies by day, / or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, / or the destruction that wastes at noonday.” (Psa. 91:3, 5-6 NRSV). Our strength, our health, our healing come from God (Rom. 11:36). We can and should take sensible precautions, but God is in control and as persons of faith our lives should reflect our trust in God.

“Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. . . . And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Pet. 5:7, 10-11 NRSV.)