How has the pandemic impacted our church as a faith community? A Pew ResearchCenter survey conducted in the second half of last year reveals that 10% ofAustralians felt their faith had been strengthened.
There are positive effects on our faith due to the COVID restrictions:
· Saving time in commuting to/from church andrelated activities.
· Essential church programs & activitiescan be conducted online.
· Focusing more on connecting with and caringfor people.
· More online Christian resource andopportunities for online activities, e.g. prayer meetings, sermons and courses.
At the same time, there are challenges as well:
· Spending extra time and effort on stayingvigilant, including during school runs and home cooking.
· Online worship and participation in otheractivities can become optional.
· Isolation and lack of opportunity formutual edification.
We may well be the 10% whose faith has been strengthened according to the findingsof the survey. And yet we have the responsibility to support others within CPCas well.
In the familiar words of Jesus in John 15:5, He did not say “I am the vine; youare the branch.” He said “I am the vine; you are the branches.” Both “you” and“branches” are plural and they refer to Jesus’ followers as a community. Thekey is not how each of us can thrive individually in Jesus but how “we” as afaith community flourish in Him. Jesus’ heart is for all of us to remain inHim.
What is one thing that each of us can do in order to help another person in CPC toremain in Jesus? (Quick examples include praying for or making a phone call toothers) Or to whom can I call out for help within CPC?
Let’s ask Jesus for His help, because “apart from me (Jesus), you (plural again) cando nothing.”
Lord, please help CPC to remain in you as one body.
作為一個信仰羣體，我們的教會怎樣受到今次瘟疫的衝擊呢？根據培爾研究中心去年下半年的一個調查，有十分一澳洲人認為自己的信仰比之前鞏固了。
各樣限制措施為我们的信仰帶來了正面的影響：
§ 節省了來回教會及有關活動的交通時間。
§ 主要的教會事工及活動能在網上舉行。
§ 較前多專注連繫及關顧別人。
§ 多了網上基督教的資源和網上活動的機會,例如網上祈禱會、講道、課程。
但另一方面，亦有不少挑戰：
§ 因保持警覺而要多花時間和精力，包括接送孩子上課及在家做飯。
§ 網上崇拜及其他活動的參與會變成可有可無。
§ 孤單和缺乏互相薰陶、影響。
我們或許是以上提及調查報告中，在信心上有增長的十人中之一人。但對其他長老會會眾來說，我們有責任去支持他們。
在熟悉的約翰福音15章5節中，主耶穌並没有說，"我是葡萄樹，你是枝子。"而是"我是葡萄樹，你們是枝子(們)。" "你們"及"枝子(們)"都是衆數，意思是指跟隨耶穌的羣體。要點不在於每個人在主裏如何茁壯地成長，而是"我們"作為一信仰羣體如何在主裏蓬勃地成長。耶穌是想我們所有人都常在衪裡面。
可否做一件事去幫助長老會的另一個人常在耶穌裡面呢？(簡單的例子，如藉禱告及通電話)。如果我需要幫助，我可找長老會的那一個呢?
耶穌說"除了我(耶穌)，你們(衆數)就不能做甚麼." 所以，我們可以向耶穌求。主啊，求祢幫助長老會, 作為一個群體,常在祢裏面。
