Full Contact

1 Sam 10:22 ESV

So, they inquired again of the Lord, “Is there a man still to come?” and the Lord said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

It was a small room, adjoining larger room in the basement of the church. We sat around a table appropriately sized for us with the flannelgraph up front and paper cutouts of men being moved around it. On this particular day we were learning about Saul, sized appropriately taller than everyone else. One of the teacher’s main points was to emphasize Saul’s humility, it was room full of overly confident boys, who needed a lesson on humility, after all. Not wanting the position but hiding amongst the baggage, scared he wasn’t up for the work, was what the teacher said. Unfortunately, this was not the case. He was prideful from the start. In his pride he rejected God’s Call and desired his own way instead. He had already been called and told by Samuel of his calling, he had already prophesied with the prophets, now he was choosing false humility, pride, and his way, instead of obedience to GOD’s Call on his life.

Of late one church has been front and center of the Covid-19 debate. Grace Community Church has caused quite a stir in Los Angeles, as it defies the county and state orders against holding indoor church services. Another Church located in the seat of our federal government has chosen to follow the city’s order and is only meeting outside. Capitol Hill Baptist Church, and they have not been meeting since the initial order was given and are only recently conducting outdoor meetings. So, which is the right direction for The Church to go?

You must understand The Church has been given a dangerous calling. The Calling of Salt. Called to preserve, flavor, and disinfect society. All aspects of this calling require one thing. Contact. The salt will not flavor when left in the shaker, the salt will not preserve if is not rubbed into the meat, and the wound will fester if salt is not applied to it. God requires that we continue to be salt, even in the midst of Covid-19. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the Pastors and Elders of these two churches. “Which direction is right for THE CHURCH”, is a wrong question. It supposes that one overarching answer is right in Washington DC, Los Angeles, CA and in Lincoln, KS. The Church, in trying to answer that question, abandons the doctrine of local governance. Who is best equipped and positioned to evaluate a community, its needs and dangers, those close or those far away? The elders of each of those churches are wise, godly, and biblical men who have evaluated the needs of their Church and their community and rightly applied scripture such that their call is preserved.

We, as Christians, can not abdicate our responsibility to be Salt to others. The local body of believers can not hide in the baggage and let Grace Community Church or Capitol Hill Baptist Church decide for it. God has called and anointed Pastors and Elders to wisely decern direction. He has called and gifted each Christian, individually, to bless the church, local. By accepting the call of Christ, you must search the scriptures, evaluate the data, and seek counsel on how you can maintain contact. Every Christian has been given a call to contact. NONE are called to forsake the community and live in solitude. Salt is useless left in the shaker. Christians must find ways to maintain full contact with each other in person or not.

CRUCE, DUM SPIRO, FIDO