All Hands on Deck

We'll work till Jesus comes,

We'll work till Jesus comes,

We'll work till Jesus comes,

And we'll be gathered home.

Chorus of Hymn, 'Happy Home' by Elizabeth Mills in 1865

What are some words that describe pandemic living? Distance. On your own. Maybe even lonely. Most of us would resonate with some of these words. The past years have created a measure of isolation as the internet substituted proximity in physical relationships. Those once close could now be less familiar. The way we practise our faith could be reconfigured with more individual experiences apart from the wider community. Is this how God intended His church to be?

Nehemiah involved a long list of families in his building campaign in Jerusalem. Men and women. Upper and working class. Merchants and clergy. They were all working next to each other. Some refused to be part of the building efforts. But others rebuilt more than what was allocated to them. Amid the different responses, under the leadership of Nehemiah and with the hand of God, the wall slowly came together.

Living in a world with distance and distractions, believers may be drawn away from Christ. Some walls that distinguish us as Christ-followers need some repair. Just as the Israelites had to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, the body of Christ is also constantly building and rebuilding our spiritual lives. God is not done yet, with His church.

And just as they came together in all their differences, so too must we come together to rebuild our spiritual lives as one body. The church cannot be built by pastors or leaders alone. All hands are required on deck. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians, we have different gifts but are one body. Everyone is essential.

In this shared journey to re-establish the spiritual foundations in our lives and community, we have an opportunity to build our walls even stronger than before. Rather than return to life as though COVID-19 had never hit, we yield to the work God wants to do in and through us. He is doing "a great work" - work that will build us to be a radiant church: and, every believer is needed for this rebuilding work until He takes us home. Will you join in God’s work until we are gathered home?

Pray Together

As we gather back as a church, what are some challenges your life group has faced in rebuilding the community? Pray as a community to face these obstacles together.