MARCH 13, 2020 COVID-19 UPDATE
Arise Fam,
We are writing this letter to give an update about how we are responding to the COVID-19 crisis. We are experiencing an interesting season in our country and world. So much of what swirls around us is out of our control, yet we can take great comfort in our God who is not surprised by any of it. No matter what circumstances we face, we want to keep our core convictions in mind. In the midst of this crisis, we want to ask, “How can we best EXALT Christ, EMBRACE one another in Community, and ENGAGE Culture?”
Keeping those convictions in focus, and in following the guidance of local and state agencies, we will be cancelling our public worship gathering for this coming Sunday (3/15). We’ve come to this conclusion not from a posture of fear, but rather, out of a desire to submit to our government officials, and to demonstrate love and care for our Arise Family and our Ventura community.
As we weather this storm together, and as we experience the cultural, economic and spiritual repercussions and recovery from the spread of the virus, there are a few encouragements we want us to live out in our community. Keeping these things in mind will help us respond in every circumstance with love.
1. Keep Loving God. Psalm 123:1 reminds us, “To You I lift up my eyes, O You who are enthroned in the heavens!” Again, Psalm 115:3 says, “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” We do not serve a God who reacts to human crisis. He is in control even in this crisis. He rules, He reigns. Submission to this is loving God well. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 encourages us in this way, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers…that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” Grieving is right, lamenting this horrible global crisis is good, but not at the expense of forgetting the God we serve. In life, in death, in pain, in crisis, our God is our hope and He is in control. This should bring us comfort. Keep hoping in Him. We are to live with an expectant faith, believing that He is in control and has already planned how He will bring glory to His name through this crisis. If you find your love for God slipping in this season of crisis, remember Paul’s words in Philippians 4:5-7:
“…The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
The Lord is at Hand. If we believe that, we will walk in loving Him well.
2. Keep Loving Your Neighbor. It is easy to fall into a spirit of apathy in this crisis. Statements like, “it’s not that bad” or “people are over reacting” or “fill in the blank” demonstrate a lack of compassion for other image bearers who are experiencing a tangible recognition of the frailty of life. They need help processing, care in the midst of their fears, not criticism and dismissiveness. Perhaps it isn’t that bad, perhaps people are over reacting, however, criticism and apathy rarely translate into a positive Kingdom impact. They provide a great opportunity to elevate our personal kingdoms, but they rarely elevate God’s Kingdom.
Galatians 5:13 tells us, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
Philippians 2:3-5 also sheds light on what our posture towards our neighbor should be:
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…”
May we flee our fleshly responses in this crisis and instead seek to love our neighbors well by seeking to show them the sacrificial love of Jesus in the midst of this crisis.
3. Keep Sharing the Gospel. People all around the world are considering their mortality now more than ever. As you sit and listen to people’s fears, concerns, worries and doubts, be ready to share the radical life-transforming hope of life in Jesus Christ. He is the only one who provides hope in the midst of fear, concerns, worry and doubt. As you engage with your neighbor, tell them about the God who is on control of all things and walk with them in love as they grow in coming to know Him personally.
What a time to be alive! We get to show the love we have received and count others as more significant than ourselves. We get to be prepared to sacrifice in love by running errands, checking in with one another, and even providing financially. We get to share the resources we have instead of stockpiling and hoarding to preserve our own wellbeing. May we be those people who look out for those in need and share generously as God in Christ has been generous with us.
This is our hope for our community at this time and into the future.
While we will not be gathering publicly Sunday, we are exploring opportunities for us to stay in fellowship and gather for prayer and hearing from God’s word as a community. More on that soon..
For now please remember: we follow Jesus, who loved us and gave himself for us. We rest secure in his love and power. In this cultural moment of confusion and chaos, where both fear and apathy seek to lay hold of our hearts, we want to be known for our confident hope in our savior, Jesus the Messiah. We will hope in Him, we will be faithful in accomplishing His mission, and we will work to demonstrate love for God and love for our neighbor at every turn.
In Christ,
Arise Elder Team