I hope and pray that this time period has been one of growth, reflection. Sometimes in the everyday chores of life and the “to-do lists” it is hard to carve out time for studying the Bible. This fact was always true even before the Coronavirus lockdowns that started in March, and on the surface the conditions of this pandemic seem to have made it better for us to find time to focus on studying Scripture. Less time spent driving places, and not going places like we used to. If you add up all the time saved not driving to church, not commuting, not going out to a store or restaurant, it becomes significant. Without having to drive to church, I could study the Bible 20 minutes before AND after every Bible study. You would think we’d be master theologians by now, but what happened? Well conditions seemed good, but the time saved became consumed by new things. We’ve been busy cooking our own meals, cleaning up after meal preparation, and strategizing how to minimize the number of places we are going, the time out of our homes. I had gotten my trips out to the grocery store down to once every other week. Now I am back to roughly one store per week, because I wanted the fresh in-season produce. And church has become another thing to add to all of this. When we don’t have to physically go to the building and carve out the hours, it’s easy to try and multitask church like everything else in life. While we should have had more time, we don’t use it. During the time we do spend, it gets hard to focus. I know I am not the only one with this problem because I think back to March when we were still going to the church building. Back then, when there was really no other external stimulus, we still saw people tempted to grab their phones to take calls, make texts or check in with others. And in doing that, they check out of the service. It’s a problem of focus. I have a Bible app on my phone, which is a good tool. But when my phone is in my hand, it’s so hard to not run through my 2 second subroutine of clicking the bottom, opening up email, making sure there isn’t anything new and urgent. It’s like this subconscious thing. It doesn’t reflect on the content I am listening to. It could be the most interesting sermon, but even during that sermon, if I am on my Bible app, that email check subroutine could happen to me when we are all together. I have to admit I am not the best multitasker. I can multitask certain classes of tasks fine. Talking on the phone + walking down the street is fine, having a conversation + cutting vegetables to make a salad is great. But if the conversation requires deeper thought, or if it’s in Spanish, I really have to stop and focus. But pandemic church takes away some of that focus that was hard to come by even before. Virtual church adds a few more sensory inputs into the mix. I tend to watch it on my notoriously distracting device. The Bible requires deep thought, meditation and focus. This is God’s word, not just an entertaining summer read. The mystery of the universe and all creation and the purpose of life, suffering and eternity are just some of the topics in this book. It’s worth reading in a quiet and focused place. Fortunately, we aren’t saved by our ability to focus or meditate on God’s word. We are saved by the blood of Christ. The Bible teaches that Jesus died for our sins to save us because we were dead in our sins. That gift that is known as salvation, and it’s a gift given by grace through faith. Not by our works. We aren’t saved by our ability to focus. However, through Bible studies we learn about who we have faith in. We need to understand what God’s word says and teaches if we are to have faith in the correct things. We need to ensure that our foundation and our beliefs and understanding is built on solid unchanging and consistent rock of Scripture. We need to know how it all works so we aren’t deceived by opportunists and charlatans. Study and focus, meditating on God’s truths is important. It always has been, but is worth reiterating especially during the conditions of the pandemic. Honestly I am saying this more to remind myself to focus, because I don’t know if you are all struggling the same way I am. Which brings me to the next point.

And on top of these distractions of the Pandemic and potential lack of focus, we are apart from each other. We are all forced to do distance learning, which isn’t easy for everybody. People learn different ways, and watching Facebook videos or distance learning is very hard for some people just because of how their brain works best. A lot of the books in the New Testament are letters from one person or a few people, to a church or another group. And when you think about it, all of these letters or epistles are a form of distance learning. Distance Ministry. In the Bible we see Jesus preaching with the sermon on the mount, we see Peter preaching to crowds at the Pentecost, Preaching in the Temple. Paul reasoning with Jews in synagogues, at every opportunity. Every Sunday, pastors get up on the pulpit and deliver sermons. But God’s word isn’t always preached in the form of a speech, a lecture, or a storytelling experience. These epistles are God’s word written, and the writing happens because the author is far apart or distant from the people they want to be with and teach. Every time we read epistles in the New Testament we are kind of taking part in this distance learning, intercepting a message, overhearing a conversation, and figuring out what we can learn. I’ve discovered that distance learning is not just hard for us. It was hard for them too. Paul spent a good portion of his life apart from people he loved. He was in house arrest for a few years, and later was imprisoned. Four of the epistles were referred to as the Prison letters. Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. In these letters Paul doesn’t hesitate to say he misses his friends. He longs for the church. In one of these prison letters Paul addresses the Philippians in 1:8

For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

It seems like Paul’s favorite church, the one full of his closest and esteemed friends, is in Philippi. He loved them, having lived among them sharing his life with them. The church in Philippi wasn’t just a consumer of his messages. They weren’t just a “Like and subscribe” type fan, waiting for the next in his series of messages, they weren’t just a benefactor and receiver of his hard work. It was a church that loved him back, supporting him both spiritually and financially. He calls them “Partners of the Gospel”. He also refers to them as his fellow soldiers. He writes to them from prison, and he says he longs for them. He misses seeing them and being encouraged and loved by them. He longs for them with the affection of Christ Jesus. We understand Christ to be the head of the church, and the church to be his body. So when he says he loves them with the Affection of Christ Jesus, it’s like the love and care for your own body. We also recognize Christ as the bridegroom, and his church to be the bride. So the affection of Christ Jesus is an affection for your own or your spouse’s body. The affection of Christ is a love so deep and selfless that it would sacrifice one’s own life for the live of others. Greater love has no one than this: that he lay down his life for his friends. Paul tells the church he longs for them, he misses them and he loves them that much, if it were even possible to love with the same affection of Christ Jesus. The purpose of the letter to the Philippians was not one of major theological discourse. He wanted to thank them for the gifts and support they’d given to him, he wanted to update them on what was going on with him. He also wanted to encourage them, because if they’d just heard what was happening to Paul, that he was in a prison, that his worldly outlook didn’t appear great, the natural response would be sadness, worry, concern, maybe even depression or feelings of defeat. Paul’s message to the church was written to be uplifting, to provide encouragement, and to remind them that what was happening to him was God’s plan, and God’s will would be done.

Another letter Paul had written was to the Thessalonian church. When he wrote this letter Paul wasn’t imprisoned. But he was busy in Athens (or Corinth depending on which scholars you agree with) and had a missionary trip keeping him away from the Thessalonians. But he really wanted to be reunited with them. He tells the church in 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20

17 But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. 18 For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. 19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20 Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

Paul tells them how much being separated from them has affected him. He said he’s been separated for just a short time. But the separation wasn’t in thought, just physically. He had been thinking of them regularly and making every effort to see them. But it just didn’t end up working out. And that time apart made him feel orphaned. He felt like he lost his family, and was left an orphan without his nurturing mother or father. He wanted the church to know that his thoughts and his heart were there with them, and he also wanted them to understand that they were his crown. They were his glory and his Joy. When Jesus comes, Paul will certainly Glory in Christ’s presence. But the crown, the glory and the joy is going to be- not just being with Christ- but that he would share God and Jesus Christ’s presence with his Beloved Church. This letter was sent specifically to the Thessalonian church, but I think this concept can and should be extended here. What is the treasure we store up in heaven? Gemstones, metals, jewelry? Compared to God, that’s nothing. No concept of treasure on earth make any sense in heaven. What is our crown or our Glory? Just being in God’s presence is all we could ever want or need. There is nothing better than the everlasting satisfaction of being adopted into God’s family, spending eternity in his Glory and paradise. Or is there anything better?

If you were to tell me I was there alone it would be infinitely amazing, but the crown or our treasure in Heaven or the glory and joy would be sharing it with the church! Paul reminds us that we will be sharing heaven with a church. A church that were not just a part of, but the church we edified and helped construct,

We share heaven with the body! Not a body that we were just members of, but a body that we cared for and comforted and nurtured. We share heaven with each other. This is glory and joy unimaginable. The people at our church will be a source of shared eternal glory and joy, our congregation is closest to my heart, but that’s just the beginning. If you really start to think about it, this church we are sharing heaven with isn’t just a group of people in Philadelphia, this is a body of believers that extends back to Paul’s churches and the disciples. We didn’t nurture the body during that era of it’s existence, but that body grew and aged and changed and added members throughout the centuries, and now today we have been entrusted to care for a distinct part of this body, for a brief but important juncture in history. We can say we are a part of this body, and we will glory and rejoice in it when Christ comes.

Knowing we were used by God to advance His kingdom adds glory and joy. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians was also one of a personal nature, not one spending a lot of time addressing doctrine or theology. It was a letter of Encouragement and Reassurance. We will be with God together. We will rejoice together with Him. I know there are a number of people in our church family who are lonely. I know there are plenty of heartaches and sorrows. There are probably some victories, some stories of what’s been going on for the past few months. Some people need a hug; some people need a laugh, a shoulder to cry on. And we can’t do that now. And honestly when we do start meeting in person again, we likely will need to keep some physical distance and an awkward amount of space apart or be behind a mask. Some people need reminders that God is at work. Romans 8:28 says In All things God is working for the good of those who Love him and who were called according to his purpose. Even if we don’t feel in control, remember we never were. But God is still sovereign, He is still Good. He is still working for his elect. We will share a glorious eternity with him and each other, and I pray and hope to see my church soon.