REMINDER : STARTING FRESH RENEWED WORSHIP
美佳之窗His Window 101（ Jan–Mar 2023 ）
Text by Rev. Matthew
As we enter 2023, there seems to be a breath of fresh air (metaphorically) as endless lockdowns have ended and the world learns to live with Covid-19. Almost everywhere, things are returning back to normal. Travel isaswhatitusedtobeinthe past, restaurants packed every weekends, people working from offices, and social gatherings happening. The church too, has made significant steps forward in resuming physical worship and returning to normalcy. However, the isolation of Christians from the church over the past two years has had some effect on Christian life, and what we used to know. How can we regain and recover in our worship as we exit the pandemic?
Appreciating Togetherness
Covid-19 isolated us from each other. While in the beginning stages, we longed for physical interactions, the longing soon disappeared and soon, it became a new normal. With social media pushing and encouraging “social distancing” we began to adopt and adapt a new way of living — isolation. Church moved from a pure physical space to the virtual space, and while the virtual space allowed us to reach out to wider groups of people, there is still a lack. This lack is found in the fact that believers were never meant to exist alone. Christianity is about spiritual partnership and journeying together in the faith. It is about worshipping and praying together. At the very least, it is about the weekly catch-ups and conversations before or after service. While these things may not seem significant, it certainly adds value to one’s spiritual and physical lives.
The early church in Acts 2:42- 47 shows us what a church looks like. It is devotion to attending worship, listening to the word being taught, praying together, partaking
of the Communion, and serving one another. The early church was not just an individualistic-minded church, it was a community of faith, where people gathered and fed off each other’s spirituality and love for God. And the result of such strong devotion to Christian fellowship was growth. Acts 2:47 says that, “... the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
We must appreciate togetherness as Christians. Just as God never created man to be alone, Christians were never meant to be alone. The church is never yourself as an individual, the church is the gathering of all believers. While some may think that attending church on a Sunday may be inconvenient, but, maybe your inconvenience could be a blessing to someone in church that Sunday. Maybe that little inconvenience meant that God encountered you in a unique manner in church. Never discount the many ways our presence in church can be a blessing to ourselves and others. Value and appreciate togetherness.
Renewed Prayer Life
The book of Acts demonstrates to us what a church and believer should look like — appreciating prayer. The believers in Acts 2:42 devoted themselves to prayers. While there are a list of events they devoted themselves to and prayer came in last, it was not a hierarchy of priorities, instead, an equal appreciation of the things that are crucial for a Christian and the church.
Prayer is a key element of a believer’s life and church. Take out prayer, and you take out the most important aspect of Christianity. A believer should not take prayer just as another task or duty, instead, a believer must understand and appreciate the value of prayer to their spiritual and physical life. As the new year dawns upon us, we must renew our appreciation for prayer. A believer needs to start praying individually, and also appreciate and participate in corporate prayer.
Prayer is not and should not be limited to just “a time for my requests” but it should extend to interceding for the needs of others and spending time in reflective silence, waiting and listening to
God. If Christians can begin to appreciate prayer and participate in prayer time, I believe God will speak to us, and just like the early church, God too will stir up a revival in our church today.
Learning to Give
If there is anything else Acts 2:42-47 teaches us, it is the value of giving generously. When I write about giving, it is not just limited to our tithes and offerings, but includes the giving to others who are in need. The early church was not just focused on the spiritual, but, had their eyes on the needs of the people around them.
No doubt, the times of the church in the book of Acts was not easy. The Christians were faced with persecutions from the Romans and it was a time of dispersion and poverty. But, instead of just fending for themselves, the Christians came together and in the spirit of love and mercy, cared for each other’s needs. Acts 2:45 says that they sold their possessions, and distributed the proceeds to all who had needs. Such was the generosity of the early church, that they made sure no one was in need.
God blesses us for two reasons: (1) for us to enjoy, and (2) for us to be a blessing to others. It is not wrong to enjoy our blessings. I am certainly not advocating for us to sell off everything and give to others. Work hard, gather, store, and enjoy God’s blessings to you, but, above it all, remember to give generously to those who are in need. Giving generously does not mean giving everything, but it simply means, give accordingly so that the needs of others can be met.
The world has exited the pandemic, but very quickly entered a period of inflation. Economic recovery is slow and prices of basic goods are on the rise. More and more people are struggling to make ends meet and we the church can strive to make a positive difference in our society. As believers, may we extend a helping hand to anyone who is struggling. Be it providing financially, helping someone land a job, or purchasing groceries, let us take on the mindset and compassion of the early church to ensure that no one is in need. Such is a church that pleases God and is effective in the community. Giving is not just an action, it is an overflow of our worship to God. So,
if we profess to be a worshipper, may our lives overflow with the compassion and mercy we sing and proclaim.
Conclusion
I pray that 2023 will be a year where we make positive steps forward. May we have a renewed Christian life. Draw closer to God, to the church, and to one another.