A Letter to the Church Family
8th October 2021
Dear Church Family,
After some 15 weeks of lockdown (over 100 days) in Sydney, it appears that things are about to change. What has been in your thoughts and conversation over this time? Probably a variety of things.
Perhaps you have been feeling deprived? We have all been deprived of the usual freedoms to go wherever we want to go and to do whatever we want to do; and deprived of seeing family and friends, except via strange technology. Some have been deprived of regular income.
But our sense of deprivation has been limited. Firstly, we still have so many comforts and benefits; we have our homes, and provision of our daily needs. Even those who have lost their normal regular income have generally been able to apply for compensation which has hopefully carried them through. All of this is in marked contrast to many other Christian believers throughout our world, who do not enjoy the same prosperity … or freedom … or security. Will this prompt in us a renewed thankfulness of heart and a renewed generosity of spirit? Are we recognising that ‘Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows’ (James 1:17); and also understanding that, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians: ‘You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God’ (2 Cor 9:11)?
Secondly, our deprivations have been for a limited time. The news is that many restrictions will be eased next week, and that by December most current restrictions will be lifted. Yet, we don’t really know what a new day or a new week will bring, do we? At the beginning of July last year, we resumed our regular church gatherings, after not being able to meet for the previous three months. We thought all those unusual restrictions were behind us; but almost exactly one year later, new restrictions were in place. However, despite all that uncertainty we now expect that life for us will be ‘back to normal’ before too long.
But every Christian believer knows that ‘normal’ in this world is living in a spoiled creation that will come to an end on a day that God has set. At our FCC Celebration Meeting last month, Pastor Tim Foskett gave a good instructive message about what it means for Christians to live in this ‘creation that is subject to frustration’. It was based on the passage Romans 8:18-27 and could be summarised by the words of verse 18: ‘I consider our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.’
I have been especially encouraged recently by some verses that I read in Paul’s letter to Titus: ‘ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14)
Our plans for recommencing church: The elders and deacons have been discussing what should happen, and the general plan is that Sunday morning gatherings will recommence on Sunday 17th . There will be a new COVID Safety Plan that conforms to all current government regulations, and further details will be communicated to everyone next week.
From Greg, on behalf of the elders.