Today's Scripture Reading (June 15, 2024): 2 Timothy 2
Part of the problem with the
COVID-19 pandemic is that there was a two-tiered structure concerning the rules
that needed to be followed. Many lawmakers also seemed to violate the very legislation
they were pushing on other people. Some recommended that everyone stay home,
who then decided to go on lavish vacations and trips. They told us that in-person
meetings should be canceled in favor of remote meetings, but then met in person
anyway. They told us not to meet with our families and then met with their
families anyway. The hypocrisy made some question the importance of their laws,
and some violated the rules because of the example their leaders had set.
I remember the first Sunday after
the gathering restrictions were publicized, saying we could no longer meet as a
congregation. I am proud that we never missed a Sunday without at least a video
going out to the people of the Church. But that first Sunday was an adventure.
About twelve of us gathered to livestream
the service. Everyone had a purpose, from Worship Team members to the technical
team experts. We remained socially distanced and ensured everyone was masked unless
we were singing. Those who were singing removed their masks, but they had
screens on their mics so that their breath couldn't go further than the mic stands
in front of them. We had taken every precaution we could think of to keep
everyone safe. However, in the middle of the livestream, I felt my phone
vibrate in my pocket. Later, after we had finished the livestream, I listened
to the voicemail. A concerned neighbor wondered why we were still meeting when
church meetings over fifteen people had been made illegal. My response was that,
counting everyone at the Church, there were twelve people involved in the
livestream process that morning. We knew the restrictions and followed them to
the best of our understanding and ability. We weren't a church that was
interested in bending the secular legislation.
Paul is asking the emerging Church
to be willing to suffer for the gospel of Christ. The Church needed to make a
stand that might invite suffering. And if it did, the leadership of the
emerging Church would suffer just as much, if not more, than the people. Paul
wasn't asking those who looked up to him to suffer so he didn't have to. He was
asking them to suffer with him, not instead of him.
All of the apostles, except for
John, were likely executed by their political leaders. As for Paul himself, he
was beheaded during the reign of the Emperor Nero. He might have been crucified
as some of the other apostles were, except that, as a Roman Citizen, he couldn't
be crucified. But he still suffered for the Gospel of Christ, along with many
other faithful servants of the Gospel of the Love of Jesus.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2
Timothy 3
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