On November 13 I preached a sermon on Euthanasia as we believe life is sacred from conception to natural death. More and more this issue will be less theoretical and personal and practical. How can we minister to those contemplated or booked for medically assisted suicide. Below is a suggested approach/guide.

MAiD Flashcard
*A Christian guide in witnessing to persons considering MAiD.

Prayer before you go, while you go, after you go. Use God’s Word. Be humble and respectful. Be bold. Be supportive.

As of 2019 (expanded in 2021) MAiD is legal in Canada.

Convince
Convince them of your sympathy; listen to them. Those who contemplate or choose MAiD are hurting in body, mind and/or soul. We must show compassion and have a discerning ear to discover how to best speak into their situation (Mt 9:36; Prov 18:13, 20:5).

Convince them of God’s value of life: that being created in the “image of God” every person has value and that since God is the author and giver of life it is precious (Gen 1:26, 2:7). Tell a better story.

Convict
Convict them that taking one’s life is not God’s plan; it is immoral. Every Biblical example of suicide is negative (e.g. King Saul and Judas) and murder is prohibited (6th Commandment, Ex 20:13). To take one’s life or seek help in this, no matter how difficult, is to despise the gift of life that God has given and take for yourself what is rightfully God’s: to decide your days (Dt 32:39). Rather than trusting God as Creator, Judge and King, MAiD makes the self god as we decide life and death, right and wrong and what is best or may or may not be possible for the future.   
Comfort
Comfort them that despite our suffering there is a better way. While God is the giver of life, as a consequence of our sin and rebellion against God [including the desire to take one’s life] (Ro 6:23a) we’re all spiritually dead and physically dying. Without God we’re eternally lost to hell (Mt 10:28). Taking your life won’t solve your pain and suffering, it will add to it.

But God has given us a free gift by sending His Son so we might be forgiven and find new life (Ro 6:23b). When we repent and trust in Jesus we become at peace with God and are given the Helper, the Holy Spirit (Jn 16:7). Sympathizing with us in our weakness (Heb 4:15) His presence will help us live for God and others amidst our suffering and not for self alone. He will bring joy in the midst of our present suffering and assure us of the hope of eternal life free from suffering that awaits the believer (Rev 21:4).

God does not want person X to die but to find eternal life in Jesus (Jn 3:16). Offer an invitation for them to respond to the Gospel, to pray with them, to leave information, to speak further. Also, many considering MAiD do not believe they have other options, are lonely and want support networks. Offer to help them make alternative plans, seek to meet their most pressing needs while they consider what you have said.
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So convince, convict and comfort.

In a recent blog I noted statistics regarding the visible decline of Christianity in Canada. This raises the question, ‘What Happened to Christian Canada?’
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In a book by this title historian Mark Noll reached the conclusion that we exchanged a Christian vision of Canada for a multi-cultural one. This is true. Canada was a bi-lingual, Anglo-European, Protestant-Catholic nation. Our identity, while different (and sometimes divided), was also one in heritage. While multi-culturalism (language, ethnicity, religion, etc) is not all of itself wrong, this new vision for Canada was an intentional subversion of the existing Christian vision by cultural Marxism (e.g. the thoughts of Antonio Gramsci [1891–1937]). Christian values were assaulted and a Christian vision was replaced by a vision that divided, and accelerated by individualism, made Canada far easier to control to ideological ends.  
 
While Noll is correct, his social theory is not the whole story as he alludes in his conclusion.

One must recognize that even at its height all of Canada was never truly Christian, there was much nominalism, of people buying into the Christian vision or attending church culturally but not truly and spiritually. One must believe the Gospel to be a Christian.

Still, many denominations faithfully preached the Gospel and so it could be assumed that many Canadians truly were Christian. However, with the arrival of theological liberalism in Canada (which accelerated in the 1920s), countless Canadian denominations, pulpits and churches became arid wastelands that gave the appearance of Christianity yet without Christ. Long before an assault from without can an attack from within. William Booth of the Salvation Army foresaw this shift in the 1800s when he said of the 20th Century:

“The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, heaven without hell.”[1]

If truth is not presented it cannot be trusted and it therefore does not transform.

There is nothing less attractive than nominal Christianity, no meaning, no joy, no fruit of faith, no substance. As more and more Canadians became nominal Christians is it any wonder ‘Christianity’ was spit out? Like the story of the Return of the Unclean Spirit in Mt 12:43–45 Canadians spit out nominal Christianity only to embrace other isms far worse than the first.

People began to look to the old worldly isms of materialism, commercialism and individualism in increasing degrees. (A corporatism in Christian Canada gave way to the extreme individualism of today).

Christianity was also beset by other isms such as Darwinism, Communism, atheism, the Sexual Revolution and post-Modernism. (It is interesting to note how a decline in the number of children necessitated an immigration policy that supported multi-culturalism).

While the full answer is even more complex than this some major contributors to the decline of Christian Canada were recasting our identity (cultural-Marxism), liberalism, nominalism along with various other isms.

No doubt some genuine Christians of the past bear spiritual and social responsibility for allowing us to drift away from orthodoxy and slip into nominalism as a nation, thus allowing this shift to take place (a giant can only be toppled if it blindly believes itself unstoppable).

 The faithful remnant in Canada (e.g. the Church), now often bolstered by new Canadians who are already Christian, must rise to be the vanguard of society’s wellbeing (salt and light, Mt 5), do honour to our Christian heritage and offer a bright hope and alternative vision for the future. However, this will not be done through worldly means (2 Cor 10:4) but by the faithful preaching of the Gospel and lives lived to the glory of Christ. This is how the early Church began and transformed the Roman and European landscape. This is how we must win Canada today; one soul at a time.


[1] https://caringmagazine.org/the-best-18-quotes-from-william-booth/

Christmas of 2022 was unusual for many congregations, we had a blizzard that closed roads and forced many churches to suspend their Christmas Day services. The second thing that was unusual was that Christmas Day and the Lord’s Day coincided, something that only happens every few years.
For our culture Christmas (without the Christ) is the high holy day of the year. On Christmas even the shops are closed, family is a focus (which in itself is good), the pagan myths are brought out and of course there is the worship of self through materialism. For our culture Christmas is paramount.
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For Christians, it is not wrong to remember the Incarnation, but our high holy day, a New Testament ordinance, is the Lord’s Day. It is the day we remember the Resurrection. It is the day we express our dependence upon the Lord, and that our lives revolve around Him. It is His day through which we honour and worship Him in a special way. It is the day on which the church gathers. Every Sunday, including when it is Christmas Day, we do not neglect to meet together (Heb 10:25). This is because Christians believe God’s will for the church is set forth in the New Testament. We do not get to choose how to live and worship, He does. 

Very recently I came by two different sets of statistics related to the visible decline of Christianity in the West, one was a local newspaper article and one was by the BBC.
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The BBC article reported that for the first time less than half of the population of England/Wales identified as Christian down to 46.2% in the 2021 Census from 59.3% in the 2011 Census (Britain does their censuses every decade). What is more, those who claim no religion are approaching those who claim to be Christian at 37.2%.[1] However, a more accurate indicator as to the state of Christianity is not the census but those who attend a church service semi-regularly at 1.5%.[2] As not everyone who goes to church is a Christian (i.e. they may be a “seeker” or nominal, as shall be seen), an generous estimate as to the number of Christians in the UK could be as liberal as 1% (670,000). 46.2% vs. 1% is a BIG difference!

In Canada there is a similar trend. Our recent census figures show 53.3% identify as Christian compared to 67.3% in 2001. The more accurate gauge as to the true number of Christians is church attendance. The following chart shows the decline of those who attend weekly service:

Today, partly because all religions are included in studies and partly because the measurement moved from weekly to monthly (itself telling) it can be difficult to truly gauge numbers. One study put monthly religious attendance at 23% (including all religions). Stats Canada (2019) noted 31% of professing Christians were in church monthly (2.283 million or 6% of the population).[3] We might halve that to get a rough weekly figure of 1.14 million or 3% of the population. So liberally in 2019 (pre-pandemic), 3% of the population may have been Christian vs. 63.2% in the census. That is a BIG difference!

That means 3 out of 100 people you meet in Canada may be Christian!

What the media, ever the naturalist, fails to distinguish is between true Christians as God sees them and visible Christians as the world sees (2 Ti 2:19). The world likes terms like practicing vs. non-practicing Christian, etc. Muslims think of the entire West as Christian, either because of its past or its censuses. Rather the Bible speaks of Christians and non-Christians.

Just because I call myself a cat doesn’t make me one. Just because I sit in a garage doesn’t make me an automobile. So too, just because I call myself a Christian or go to Church doesn’t make me one.
We must not think naturistically like the world but see spiritually as the Bible teaches. We need to have discernment. The Bible has not left us blind to discern the marks of a genuine believer.[4]

Jesus said we would “know them by their fruits” and that not everyone who said “Lord, Lord,” would enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt 7). Likewise in 2 Cor 13:5 Paul urges the Corinthians to “test yourselves” and the possibility of failing “to meet the test.” Not all “Christians” are Christians. Similarly, Revelation speaks of “synagogues of Satan,” Jewish gatherings that visibly should have embraced their Messiah and been friendly but had rejected Him and so spiritually were not friendly. Indeed like many things in life we need this distinction to see the difference between real Christians and true Churches and nominal Christians and false Churches.

The Bible is filled with “tests of assurance,” marks that we are to use to evaluate (not be judgemental) as to whether someone is a Christian. You might read 1 John, which is filled with them, but the following may suffice. We know a Christian by three basic marks: by their lips (Ro 10:9–10), by their lives (Gal 5:22–23); by their baptized into the visible Church (Acts 2:38, 41).

Let’s wisely evaluate both our own lives and those who claim to be “Christian.”


[1] This group is commonly known as “the dones;” those who are still spiritual but not religious. They constitute an interesting demographic for evangelism.

[2] https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/media-centre

[3] https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2021001/article/00010-eng.htm

[4] See Edwards Religious Affections if you’d like to do much deeper on this subject. Edwards was caught up in the 1st Great Awakening. He thought optimistically of all those who’d professed to be “converted.” In his book he looks at the Biblical marks of genuine conversion.

We live in a changing culture. It isn’t changing from Christian to post-Christian (that change occurred in the 1960s–80s). We’re changing from a post-Christian culture into an eddy of the unknown.
Now as the under-dog (yet with an Almighty Captain, the Lord Jesus Christ), how do we as Christian churches engage with our culture?
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At a recent conference a non-Christian and Christian help was offered to answer this question. I thought it was worth restating with some of my own commentary.

The Christian faith used to be the worldview and moral code of Canada. People would ask: does this honour and glorify God; what does God think about this; what does the Bible say; is this good or bad; does it love God and love others, etc…?

As people came to hold the Christian faith nominally these questions were asked, not through reason, but through intuition: that is, because of what we’ve received, I don’t feel comfortable with X, Y, or Z.

Today, most people still do not use reason to inform their worldview, rather they subjectively rely on intuition.

Because of this shift Christianity went from being celebrated, tolerated or viewed as quaint to now being seen as increasingly dangerous.

In “Righteous Mind: Moral Intuitions are Different,” social psychologist explains what our culture’s new moral intuitions are:

• Is it harmful or not
  • Here also is a change in how we view humans. To be human is not to live up to an ideal but to be true to yourself. If your acts do not obviously harm you, or especially someone else, your action is not wrong.
• Is it freeing or oppressive
  • Here also is a change of how minorities are viewed (intersectionality). If you have power you are oppressive. If you live at the intersection of one or more roads (forms of oppression: e.g. female, ethnic, disability, religious or sexual minorities, etc) then you need to be freed and your voice is more morally insightful and valuable. If you are Christian, male, white, straight, then you are an oppressor.
• Is it fair or discriminatory
  • Here also is the difference in matters of sexual ethics. Romantic sexual fulfilment is the epitome of our human experience and freedom. To deny someone their expression is to be unfair and enslaving.  
•  [All three of these rely heavily on perception to interpret]

Responding with a different moral intuition and code, how do Christians respond to someone who is speaking a different moral language?

If we simply speak louder (like in so many language quandaries) we don’t actually facilitate understanding. If we simply give a straight up yes or no answer, our view will likely clash with theirs.
While sometimes we’re left with no other option than providing a straight up answer without an explanation (and know that God will use such faithfulness), we need to learn to be better listeners:

If one gives an answer before he hears,
    it is his folly and shame. (Prov 18:13)

And

The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water,
    but a man of understanding will draw it out. (Prov 20:5)

When pressed for a yes or no answer on any moral or theological question we might respond, “I think your question deserves more than a one syllable answer.” Ask questions. Attempt to figure out what ethic (see above) they’re operating from. Build trust through listening. Where have they come from that has led them to this place? Finally help them understand why something is right or wrong (harmful, oppressive and unjust) and tell the better story of how Jesus’ way is better, freeing and just.
In apologetics and evangelism we must learn to speak the truth in love or blend grace and truth as the Bible teaches. 

​Like many people in Ontario (and North America) I celebrated Halloween when I was growing up, giving little thought to this secular holiday. Most of it was naively innocent, it was a time for candy, dressing up and visiting, in my case, predominantly friends, family and neighbours. It was fun. Beginning in my early adult life, however, I began to become uneasy with Halloween as a Christian. During our time in the UK, where Halloween has been a recent North American commercial import, its newness and foreignness gave me opportunity to pause and reflect further upon a holiday so many celebrate (including Christians)

Rather than an innocent event the origins of Halloween are quite dark, not to mention aspects of how it was traditionally and is now celebrated. Is Halloween “Happy” as folks wish? No, it is more a trick than a treat.
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Modern Halloween is an amalgam of old and new traditions:

• The ancient Celts celebrated Samhain on November 1. It was a festival of summer’s end, the period between the life of the harvest and the dormancy of winter. A time between life and death. As such it was believe it was a time when the physical and spiritual worlds met. A “thin place.” The night before (October 31) was thus a time when the dead could return as ghosts. Food and wine would be set out to appease them and if you left the house you’d wear a disguise so they would not recognize you.
• Enter Roman Catholicism.  Catholics took this festival and Christianized it transferring the traditional date of All Saints Day, or Hallowmas, from May 13 to November 1. This was a day that emphasized the spiritual bond between the Church Triumphant (in Heaven) and the Church Militant (on earth). It celebrated and remembered those who’d attained salvation and offered prayers for those who were still in purgatory. It was especially linked to the worship of Saints and their relics. It is a holy day of obligation for Catholics still to this day. The night before Hallowmas was known as All Hallows Eve (Hallow E’en).
• In medieval Britain people went souling, offering to pray for the dead in exchange for cakes. People even began to dress up (wear a guise) as a show for gifts. Though this tradition waned it was revived by 19th century Irish immigrants in North America, even carving out turnips and placing candles in them.
• Beginning in the 1920s this became part of North American Popular Culture. People held parties and parades. The new film industry, such as The Silly Symphonies: The Skeleton Dance (1929), along with rationalism and materialism, did much to soften or eradicate belief in a spiritual realm and made Casper “the friendly ghost.” (c.f. Eph 6:12). By the 1950s modern Halloween was here. Since this time commercialism and the media (think Halloween, Twilight, Hocus Pocus, Charlie Brown, sitcom specials and Buffy) have done much to perpetuate it.
• With the decline of Christianity also came the rise of neo-paganism, for which Halloween is a real religious high day just before their New Year. They maintain views of the ancient Celts that the spirit world is very close on this night. Therefore it is the perfect opportunity to perform ancestor worship, hold séances, practice magic, summon spirits, conduct sacrifices, worship and hold feasts. This is often done in isolated areas, dark rooms, places of symbolism, and can involve bonfires.

From its Celtic origins, Catholic additions and modern adaptations Halloween isn’t just about dressing up, it is a celebration of the dead and darkness (Samhain), a mockery of what the Bible teaches about the afterlife (Catholicism), an insult to the reality of the spiritual forces of darkness (commercialism), and even bonafide spiritual evil (neo-paganism).

Christians who participate in Halloween embrace, often naively, something that is actually dark. They’d do better to practice goodness and celebrate what God has actually commanded.
While I sympathize with those Christians who seek to use Halloween as an opportunity to witness by giving candy-Gospel-tracts or hosting alternative light parties, in my opinion it would be better to simply not engage remembering verses like:

“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” (Eph 5:11)

 “Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” (Romans 12:9b)
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“Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8) 

I just finished watching the Queen’s funeral at some three and a quarter hours in length. It had been heralded as one of the grandest events of our time, with thousands to be in attendance (including hundreds of heads of state and government), thousands more military personnel, millions of onlookers and billions watching around the world. The unprecedented actual event did not disappoint. It came off as the Queen had wished.

From her death at Balmoral Castle to lying in state at Westminster Hall, her coffin was then carried to Westminster Abbey, a centre-point in English civilization. The service, despite the historic and contemporary Anglican peculiarities, was one that was God focused and Scripture laden. The Arch-bishop of Canterbury’s rather short homily, apart from comments about certain royals’ salvation, was in fact faithful and Gospel centred. He reminded people of the who and not what of Christianity and encouraged others to follow the faith in Jesus that enabled the Queen’s humble service. Nearer the close of the service a rousing version of Love Divine by Charles Wesley, complete with trumpets, stirred people’s souls. Though majoring on liturgy and minoring on explanation, the service, by and large, provided enough to point people to Christ. Following this, and led by our own RCMP “Mounties,” was the mile and a quarter procession to the Arch of Wellington where the Queen’s coffin was transferred to the Royal Hearse, in which she will travel to Windsor Castle.

As far as dignified earthly events can come, this was the epitome of decorum and ceremony.

As I watched, with a few tears in my own eye, I could not help but think, not of departure, but the glorious coming of our Lord. Titus chapter two and verse thirteen says:

waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ,
The Bible describes this event in even more glorious terms than the pageantry seen at the Queen’s funeral. With suddenness (1 Thes 5:2), brightness (Mt 24:27), and trumpet sound (1 Thes 4:16), Jesus will come again in triumphant glory (Heb 9:28), on the clouds of majesty (Rev 1:7), accompanied by His angels (1 Thes 1:7) and His saints (1 Thes 3:13).

What tears of joy this will cause His saints. What tears of terror will this cause amongst doomed sinners.

Her Majesty’s funeral was but a glimpse of the glory that we will see that Day. May we be ready through faith in Jesus to welcome Him on it:
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Come Almighty to deliver
Let us all Thy grace receive
Suddenly return and never
Never more Thy temples leave
Thee we would be always blessing
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing
Glory in Thy perfect love

You may have heard that phrase before or recently seen flags with this slogan.

On the one hand its meaning is ambiguous because normally a definition goes along the lines of “A cat is a small four legged house pet.” A definition by nature defines something.

Regardless of the ambiguity in this case the meaning is clear. ‘Love is love’ is put forward to mean that any emotional attachment we might feel toward someone (or something) regardless of who (or what) that is, is justified merely on the basis of the emotion being displayed. It doesn’t matter who or what you love because ‘love’ trumps all values.

Imprecision in definition is a practice open to abuse.

In 1971 Oxford defined love as “that disposition or state of feeling with regard to a person which manifests itself in solicitude for the welfre of the object, and usually also delight in his presence and desire for his approval; warm affection, attachment.” Aside from neglecting to note love as a verb and not a noun (an action and not a thing) at least 1971 Oxford has a meaty definition.

Today Mr. Oxford defines love as “a very strong feeling of liking and caring for somebody/something [sometimes romantic].”

The best definition I’ve ever encountered for love (Greek, agape) means to prefer, to prefer someone or something more than yourself, to prefer what God has said, and to show this through one’s actions. This is the definition we find in 1 Jn 5:3a:

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. 

By definition then, to love means to prefer what God has said (the truth) and do it. If we prefer anything and do anything other than what He has said it cannot be love but is sin; and we humans love to sin. Thankfully God preferred us so as to send His Son to rescue us from sin (Jn 3:16) so we might live a life of true love, love for God and others as defined by Him, the author of reality.
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Because words have meaning and meaning conveys truth and truth never changes (Heb 13:8; 1 Pet 1:25) it actually does turn out that ‘love is love’ after all but not in the way many think.

What shall we call "Easter" or "Easter Sunday"?

You may have noticed that in recent years Christians have begun to question using the term “Easter” to refer to the period in which we remember Jesus’ death and resurrection (including Holy Week and Good Friday) and the Resurrection itself (Easter Sunday). This may in part be the fault of the Easter Bunny (secularism) or be a post-Christian Christian reaction to paganism (e.g. Eostre was a pagan fertility goddess in Northern Europe—the non-Germanic Christian world calls the holiday Pascha or Passover in continuity with the Jewish feast when Jesus died and rose). So with “Easter” behind us, what should it be called? Given the fragmented state of much of Western Christianity it is doubtful whether we’ll settle upon something here but may you never know?
 
Here are some options that have been suggested:

Have your say....

1. Praise God that we had just upgraded our technology so that we were able to facilitate a livestream during Covid!
2. The special times shared by those who led the livestream.
3. For how our newsletter helped to keep us connected.
4. For how the church members ministered to one another through phone calls, emails, etc.
5. That our livestream and phone in service enabled us to reach out into our community (and beyond!).
6. That even our life groups continued to meet, either online or in small groups at church.
7. That we were able to honour the authorities and love our neighbour while creatively finding ways to continue to be a Church.
8. That we remembered we have a reason to meet and a purpose to exist.
9. That the priority of worship and discipleship were highlighted in the absence of other programming.
10. For the “spiritual refugees” we were able to minister to whose churches were closed when ours was open.
11. For the newcomers we welcomed because we continued to be open.
12. For the multiple micro services we hosted in the 3rd lockdown so that everyone had an opportunity to gather.
13. For the financial health that we enjoyed, no doubt because we kept seeking to fulfil our mandate as a church.
14. And probably many, many more…

However much the Lord uses times of trial in a congregation’s life, like our personal trials, we should never want to remain there. Here are 5 reasons why we need to move beyond Covid as a congregation and get back to normal if you haven’t done so already:

1. Facts over fear: Sadly 42 people died in Grey-Bruce from Covid related issues (elsewhere I had 2 relatives die and know of one person who ended up in the ICU). We can be thankful that more didn’t die and part of that was no doubt the public health measures put in place. But still, Covid was not as dangerous as many first feared. For example, here in Grey-Bruce there is a .0004% chance you might die of Covid. That is about the same risk of dying in a motor vehicle accident, yet we all still drive. Dr. Arra’s letter is a medical case in point to move beyond Covid.
2. Knowing the reason: Disease is a terrible reality. Covid was not successful in bursting the bubble that we can control everything, including diseases and mortality. The truth is that as Christians we know that the general cause of disease is sin (Ro 3:23) and that diseases are not going anywhere until the Lord returns (Rev 21:4). Though we still face the corruption of the body due to sin today, knowing its source and end helps shape our outlook in the midst of it.
3. Faith over fear: Faith in no way grants the believer immunity from diseases or death, however, it does mean that we can face them with the peace and assurance of knowing that to live is Christ and to die is gain (Phil 1:21). We don’t need to have the fear that unbelievers have because this is all there is. Sadly, all too often the cultural mentality shapes how Christians think. We need to be reminded that God gives us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control (2 Ti 1:7).
4. We’re commanded to gather: It is quite clear that Christians are commanded to gather (Heb 10:25). The great dilemma caused by Covid was that we either couldn’t or didn’t in the interests of health. Two years of Covid has not only had knock on effects emotionally, socially and economically but spiritually as well. Some churches have closed up shop. Some Christians have gotten into deep ruts of not physically fellowshipping. To be sure, non-physical forms of fellowship can suffice for a time, but God’s ultimate design is for us to gather. Even if large corporate worship services were a concern for some Christians there are small groups and even one to one opportunities they could have (and could still) take advantage of if for health reasons they are reticent to attend public worship and other church functions. The litmus test I’ve often offered is one of consistency, that if you are visiting others or going to the shops than you can share in fellowship of some form. Covid is passing, diseases will always be with us, what we miss is more than what we’re gaining if we stay away from the body.
5. Virtual church is not the same: A recent article highlighted some key reasons why gathering virtually is not the same:
   1. Attending worship is not a form of entertainment to be accessed from home like a movie; it is an act of worship.
   2. Attending worship is not about what you get but the worship you offer to the LORD. He is the audience (not us), Christians leaders are the prompters but the congregation are the actors.
   3. Even getting ready and making the drive (think gas $, time, effort, weather) is all part of your offering of worship. Worship involves sacrifice.
   4. Together believers participate in worship (or fellowship or discipleship events), something that is all too remote in something like a livestream.
   5. You miss out on the ordinances.
   6. Virtual church makes it easy to perform digital church hopping rather than committing to your local church.
   7. Additionally, we miss out on Jesus’ promise to be with us in a special way (Mt 18:20).

Technology has not been all bad as I shared in the aforementioned celebrations. We’re keeping our livestream as a form of outreach (and for those who are ill, away, housebound or snowbound!). Technology will continue to help us surmount geography and hold those last minute meetings that weren’t possible before Covid. These are good things.

However, if you profess to be a Christian but still haven’t come back to church now is the time to seriously consider coming back because the disadvantages far outweigh the perceived advantages.