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If we believe the curve. ________________

I live and pastor a congregation of 300 in my local community. We feed 300-500 each month in our food pantry and have continued during the shut-down. Our ladies made 750 masks that have been distributed to numerous nursing homes, doctor’s offices, and the local fire department. The local CBS affiliate ran a story on the mask project and all these agencies contacted us for masks.Now — If we violate the safer at home order and start holding church services, what am I communicating to the community? We’re saying…We’re above the law. We know better than the doctors. We don’t care if we spread the disease.

When someone claims that they are trying to take away our rights, blah, blah, blah…I recognize a conspiracy theorist who probably isn’t all that well balanced in other areas.This is a foolhardy display that wants to masquerade as having faith. No, what they have is foolishness.If the government had NO GOOD REASON to keep churches from meeting, or was treating church gatherings differently than businesses, etc., yeah, let’s go back to church. In this case, though, it is CLEARLY about safety. If they are a little extra-cautious, I’m good with that.Any pastor who says We’er gonna have church anyway, bless God, and someone gets sick and dies…has blood on their hands. But if someone from that church catches the virus then gets my child sick and suffer, then, if I can get to the that pastor, I will do my best to give HIM a reason to go to the hospital too. (At my age, I may have to rely on a baseball bat, but still….)

What is faith? How do you balance it against what you SEE? How do you balance it against what you SAY? Maybe the church is a little like the church in this story.There is this little town in the Midwest, and the whole area has been hit hard by drought for years. In this town, was a little Church that served all the farmers, and every Sunday, all the farmers and their families would come to Church and pray for rain. The Pastor would tell the congregation every week that they needed to pray more. One week, one man finally stood up and said, preacher, every week we come here and pray, and you tell us we need to pray more, but nothing changes. The preacher replies, that is because you do not have enough Faith! The man angrily responds, WHAT? what do you mean, we do not have Faith, we are here week after week, praying! The preacher calmly says, yes, but where are your umbrellas?Do we walk by faith or by sight? Whose report do you believe? Not saying we should be foolish nor tempt God but what role does faith play in the life of Christians today? I think Jesus might be weeping over the state of the church today. I thought we were supposed to be the seed of Abraham? CHildren of faith.

While Daniel was in the lion’s den, knowing death was just a few feet away, did he tempt the lions to destroy him by smacking them on the face? He had faith, so why not antagonize them? He probably practiced social distancing!! I doubt he antagonized any lions. BUT HE HAD FAITH!! Sure he did, but he also had common sense. Don’t smack a hungry lion on the face – he might kill you.

I hear you, bro. I think the difference is determined by a few different things:1) If you know that God instructed you to go an minister to a village struck with Ebola (for instance), then go.2) Consider that everyone who attends may not have the faith YOU have…and might catch the virus and die, etc.3) Consider whether you are tempting God by taking an UNNECESSARY RISK. We all have to take some degree of risk to even drive to the store. All of us would likely run into a burning building to save a family member, regardless of the risk. But to do it just because, that’s tempting God…and you might come out with some burns…if you come out at all.