The Church Is In Exile Due to COVID-19

The Church is in Exile

…due to Covid-19

The church is in exile from COVID-19.  N.T. Wright made reference to this in a recent TIME magazine article. The word "exile" reminded me of my book, Return from Exile and caused me to flip it open to see how it might apply to our current pandemic. (Note: this is a reposting of an earlier failed post.)

THE CHURCH IS IN EXILE

We have completed two full months of isolation and moving church services online. This is our exile, much like when the Israelites were forced from their homeland to live apart from Jerusalem and temple worship. Yet they survived. And so will we.As I read through the contents of my book, the chapter headings alone prompted a number of thoughts that might help us to survive our exile.

Chapter 2 - The Six D's of Exile.

When the church is in exile, it's emotional. I identified six emotions that travel with exile: feeling Displaced, Disconnected, Disoriented, Disillusioned, Depressed, and Doubting. The D-words keep growing as I might add Despairing and Disappointed to a revised edition of the book.It's worth pondering each word for a moment to reflect on the losses that have come from your self-isolation, loss of income/savings, and the many losses associated with people getting sick and even dying. Which of these D's are you facing today? Invite God to join you in these emotions and offer his comfort.

Chapter 6 - I Didn't See It Coming

No one anticipated COVID-19 (in the general public). It was like heading off on a boat on a beautiful day only to have a storm appear out of nowhere and overtake you. There was no time to prepare. For some, no time to say good-bye. It's a good warning to us all how quickly things can change and why we need to stay alert. What lessons have you learned from the pandemic to prepare you for future storms?

Chapter 7- Embracing Your Dark Side

When the church is in exile many behaviors surface that you didn't even know existed. There's nothing like being stuck alone, or worse, being stuck with a house full of people, to reveal your dark side. You can usually escape yourself with distractions and activities.But the Stay At Home orders have shut down our typical denial mechanisms. What have you learned about your dark side? Have you invited God to deal with these areas? [pullquote]There's nothing like being stuck alone, or worse, being stuck with a house full of people, to reveal your dark side. [/pullquote]

Chapter 10 - Denying Your Loss

When the church is in exile, it's a time to grieve. But we are not a people that understand grief or how to grieve. The idea of lament is a foreign concept. So instead, we tend to look to blame others or bury our head in the sand of false optimism thinking that this will quickly pass.This denial is seen today by the throngs of people heading back to "business as usual" while we wait for the other shoe to drop. We are in the midst of a seismic cultural shift. Everything will change. There's no going back. What are you doing to let go of the past and prepare for the coming change?

Chapter 14 - Limited Choices

When the church is in exile, choices are limited. Our country prides itself on freedom and independence. That's why there is nothing more maddening than to have our choices limited. We don't like being told what to do and NOT do... especially by the government.How have your choices been limited over these past months and how have you responded to these limitations? With humility and grace or with anger and defiance?

Chapter 18 - Traveling Companions

Exiles in the Bible were often in groups of people. So I asked the question in "Return from Exile," who are your traveling companions? I mentioned three companions: close friends and family, the Bible, and special books. We all need positive inputs in exile to keep us emotionally and spiritually healthy. What positive inputs do you have for this season?

The church is in exile. How are you handling it? I hope these chapter titles give you food for thought during these days of isolation.I'll be back later this week to offer a few more thoughts inspired by other chapter titles from my book Return from Exile. To read reviews and learn more about the book, click the link below.

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