Returning Home: Participating in the post-lockdown church

In 2020, the unthinkable happened. The world was shut down and the churches along with it. For many of us, church was our home or at least a place that we had built our routines around. Almost overnight, that was no more. This season, reminded me of the Israelites and their time in exile as told by the prophet Jeremiah. They did not leave because of a virus, but they too were cut off from home and, most importantly, the temple where they worshiped Yahweh. They were lost, displaced, and unsettled aliens against their will. In their bleak state, God had, among others, two important messages for them in Jeremiah 29. Lessons we can learn from today.

Thrive where you are planted.

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:  “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Jer 29:4-6

God encourages them to settle down and thrive in their new normal – an alien world. This was my encouragement during the lockdown. So, I found new ways to have fruitful interactions with my brothers and sisters in Christ. We turned our home into thriving centers of faith and became deliberate pastors to our kids. We purposed not to waste away in the covid-induced exile.

  It will come to an end.

10 “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place… 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

God promised the children of Israel that their exile would come to an end. After a specific time, He would gather them from all the nations and bring them home. The encouragement here was that the Covid season would one day come to an end. I believe we have come out of the worst of it.

In Uganda, church gatherings (a place a believer calls “home”) were banned for close to two years. Their opening happened in 2022; this was a long journey from exile. While many returned promptly, some are still making the journey back to this day. Sadly, in the same way, that some people had trouble adjusting to life in exile, many have failed to make it back to this day.  Perhaps you are among those finding it difficult to return ‌ home (church). You might not even be aware, but these are some signs that you may be having trouble making it back home:

•  The Online Church, through social media and other platforms, has become a complete substitute for the Church community.

While the role of the online church must be appreciated, and I am eternally grateful that it kept us connected in such a terrible season, it has its limitations. It cannot be a long-term alternative to the church community. We must understand that our physical bodies were an intentional part of God’s design when he placed us on this earth. This makes fellowship physically with one another even more significant. Our hands and feet, our sense of smell, the ability to look into people’s eyes, to sit down next to one another, to take a walk together, to have conversations in real-time; these are all important aspects of the human experience, and they are avenues through which God has ordained that we love and serve him.  I encourage you to return to these spaces where you can find these in-person communities.

• You are giving the best of your time to another god.

Before the pandemic, many people did not realize how much they could get done on a Sunday morning. Groceries, chores, car repairs, golf, gym, brunch with friends. So much could be done that many eventually stopped attending any kind of church service or fellowship. Some had the intention of returning to church once the lockdown was lifted, but somehow, never have to this day.  Does this sound like you? It is time to readjust and get back to church.

• Your time serving in church has dropped.

Before Covid Pandemic, you were serving actively in the church. You were leading ministries and programs. As it stands, all you do is attend, sit in one place, and then leave. A number of churches are struggling to find volunteers and ministers because so many did not return to the life of service in the church. If you returned from the Covid exile only to become a “bare-minimum member”, you are not fully back.

In conclusion,

When Nehemiah led the Israelites from exile back to Jerusalem, they realized they had a lot of work to do. The city had to be rebuilt, and the temple too. Altars had to be set up and worship re-commenced according to the law.  They could not stomach their city and the dwelling of Yahweh in shambles, so they did something about it. Read the entire book of Nehemiah to witness this incredible story. I pray that we will all have this passion to go back to our churches and serve wholeheartedly. Purpose to return and get to work; participate and build. Be part of a thriving community where people’s lives will be transformed and God’s name will be glorified.