TRC Questions #7: Application

As we consider the reasons and rationale for gathering together for worship, and for using the Zoom platform for virtual worship, here are some reflections on application.

• When you are unable to attend worship (because of illness, travel, or some other providential hindrance), do you have a strong sense that you are missing it? Do you consider that the rest of the congregation feels your absence as well? 
• How does your presence contribute to the service of worship being offered by the congregation? What ways do you pick up on the contributions of others to the worship service? How is that different in "virtual" worship—is it amplified? Suppressed? 
• What do you do in preparation for corporate worship ordinarily? Do you do those same things to prepare for "virtual" worship?
• How does the reason of "covenant renewal" shift your own expectations for corporate worship? How does it change the importance. you place on your own participation in corporate worship? Does covenant renewal represent a new paradigm for you for how and why corporate worship is vital to the life of a Christian?

Zoom Thoughts

Also as we reflect on worshiping via "virtual" space, I thought it would be helpful for you to consider the following "best practices" and other suggestions for worshiping via the Zoom platform.

• Zoom has two main viewing modes: Gallery view and Presenter view. We recommend that you use Gallery view for most/all of the worship service, in order to best sense the presence of your fellow worshipers. You may prefer to switch to Presenter view during the sermon.
• It may be difficult to see and participate in the virtual worship service on a device with a smaller screen. We encourage you to use the largest screen that you can, so that you might see everyone else clearly. Many devices are able to broadcast video up to a full-size TV using certain connections or additional devices, which may be optimal for your experience of virtual worship.
• Because your participation is just as important as everyone else's, ideally you would keep both audio and video "on" throughout the whole worship service. This way others can see and hear you, just as you can them, and the feeling of one another's presence will emphasize the gathering aspect of worship, even if virtually. If you are unable (for various reasons) to enable both audio and video, we strongly recommend that you engage at least one—let us see or hear you, if not both.
• In the same way that it is important that you see everyone else clearly, it is important that they can see you clearly too! Device cameras placed at low angles (such as in your lap or on a coffee table, etc.) can make it difficult for the rest of us to see your face. We suggest that you find a convenient way to prop your device up at eye level or slightly below.
• As with normal face-to-face worship, your participation in the various elements of the worship service is edifying and encouraging to the others who are also participating. Singing with full voice, reading aloud and in a consistent meter/rhythm for congregational elements of the liturgy, and standing/kneeling as you are physically able all serve to build up the body and strengthen everyone's worship, not just your own.
• Just as when worshiping "in person" then most of us are actively mindful of how our actions may be a hindrance to worship for those around us, so it is with virtual worship too. While it may be tempting to multi-task or keep your hands from being idle, please be considerate of how your choices and actions may be a distraction and hindrance to others' worship.
• Whereas in a regular gathering for worship then seating arrangements and other factors allow us to shift our focus toward the worship leader, in virtual worship we are more vulnerable to distractions, both visual and audible. What makes for a distraction? It is something that is unexpected—which can be a sound or something happening on the screen. Someone standing and walking out of view is not a distraction, because that happens regularly; someone standing up and starting to do jumping jacks IS a distraction, because we would never expect that during a corporate worship service. Please be conscious of how what you are doing on your end of the camera/microphone may distract others, and thus hinder them from worship.
• One benefit that Zoom offers as our virtual sanctuary for worship is that we can socialize with one another, more like we might in a more normal setting. Please plan to log into the Zoom meeting early before the service, and/or to stay on afterward, if you want to socialize. Also, we would encourage you to account for the limitations of the platform for socializing; try not to dominate the conversation, or exclude others by focusing on one person or topic too narrowly.

TRC Questions #7: Why Zoom? Continued...

Following up on last week's discussion, I return this week to the question, "Why did Trinity choose Zoom for our virtual worship?"

To answer that question, I dig deeper into the bigger question, "Why do we gather for public, corporate worship in the first place?"

These questions are at the heart of what we do at Trinity, and who we are as Christians and worshipers. Here's this week's video:

Look for questions and application coming over the days to come.

TRC Questions #6: Why Zoom?

Why did we choose to use the Zoom platform for our worship services during the pandemic? Why not just use a streaming media service as so many other churches have opted to do?

To understand this, we have to first ask and answer the question, "Why do we worship corporately in the first place?" Why do we gather for worship as Christians?

In this week's video, I begin to answer the questions above. This will be the first of a multi-part answer that will be broken down over the next few weeks. Here's this week's video:

Over the next few days I'll provide further reflection on application and prayer, as I have been doing.

TRC Questions #5: Application and Prayer

In light of the discussion about trusting God versus testing God, and the brief synopsis the I gave about the decision-making process that Shane and I are employing, I wanted to offer the following reflections about application and prayer on this topic.

Application Questions

• What are some ways where you have seen God's providence in common, everyday ways? Can you make a short list of ways that God provides for you through ordinary means?
• Who are some of the wisest people that you know? What makes you think of them as "wise"? How do you see trusting in God's providence linked to wisdom in them?
• What are some ways that you are tempted to test God instead of trust him? 
• How are the wise people in your life responding to the pandemic? What responses do you consider to be foolish? Do you see others testing God in their words and actions, in response to the pandemic?
• What questions do YOU feel need to be answered satisfactorily, before you will feel comfortable with Trinity Church resuming regular corporate worship? Where will you turn for answers to those questions?
• What questions do you believe the elders need to ask and answer before we should call for resuming regular corporate worship? (Would you list them in the comments to this blog please?)

Prayer

• O Lord, give me patience and wisdom at all times, and help me to trust in you and your divine providence. Protect me from the temptations to doubt, act foolishly, or test you in any way.
• Father, during this season of isolation during the pandemic, grant me a particular wisdom to act in trust of your providence, and guide me away from testing you by my words, actions, or thoughts.
• Dear God, give me wisdom about how much I should expose myself—and through so doing, also expose others—even after civic leaders have lifted restrictions about "social distancing." Let my trust in you, and in the advice of those who know and understand how pandemics function, guide me in my actions. 
• Lord, grant wisdom and insight to the elders of the church as they seek answers to the questions they are asking regarding resuming ordinary worship services. Help them, that the decision to resume would be neither too soon nor too long, but when it is good, right, and fitting to do so.
• God, sustain all of us with patience and perseverance during this strange season of isolation, and help us to endure well through the remainder of the time when we must isolate. May it be all that much sweeter to gather once the isolation is lifted.

TRC Questions #5: Trusting God vs. Testing God

In this week's discussion, I talk about the difference between trusting God and his providence, versus testing God, during times of crisis or need. I also explain some of the practical considerations that the TRC session is taking in thinking toward resuming weekly public worship in a face-to-face, in-person way.

At the end of the video, I invite your feedback: if you have any thoughts about the kinds of questions we need to ask and answer in considering resuming worship in-person, we want to hear them. Please give your input in comments below.

Here's this week's video:

TRC Questions #4: Application and Prayer

Yesterday we looked at Luke 10, the parable of the "Good Samaritan"—and how that passage emphasizes for us some of the principles of loving our neighbors that are instructive during a pandemic crisis.

Today let's consider some possible points of application, and some ways we can pray, in light of this.

Application

• Who is YOUR neighbor? Make a list of everyone who you can think of that, according to the parameters in Luke 10, would qualify as your neighbor. NOTE: there may be people whose names you don't even know, but should be included (i.e., "the clerk at the store I visit weekly" or "that new employee I haven't met yet").
• Reflect carefully: if you found out one of these neighbors was in distress, how would you respond? What would you do, say, and/or pray for them? Be as honest with yourself as you can about what your instincts would lead you to do.
• How does neighbor-love shape the way that you have reacted to the pandemic isolation? Does it motivate you to act (or to opt not to act) in some way that you normally wouldn't? Does it give you patience and endurance for things that otherwise would make you frustrated?
• Consider what 1 Corinthians 13 says about what love is. Most often we consider that "love chapter" with regards to romantic love, but take a few minutes to apply it to the idea of neighbor love. How does that re-shape your picture of what loving our neighbors looks like?
• How can Trinity Church love our neighbors better as a congregation? Do you agree that, as an expression of neighbor-love, ceasing to meet in person for worship is a good decision? 
• What hopes do you have for Trinity to extend greater love to neighbor in the future? Can you think of something that we could do, which we haven't? (Reply or leave a comment if so, telling us what it is!)

Prayer

• Father, I pray that you would teach me more every day of how I am to love my neighbor and what that requires of me. Increase my willingness to do so, and give me motivation to expend myself for the sake of others.
• God, please reveal to me the ways that I have not loved my neighbors well, especially during this pandemic, and grant me a contrite heart for where I have fallen short of what you've commanded me to do. Turn my focus from myself and my own comfort and ease to the service and care of others.
• Lord, please use the many acts of loving neighbor—my own, those of my friends and family, and from Christians across the world—to bring hope and grace to those in need of it, and draw our neighbors closer to you through acts of love.
• God, also use the acts of social distancing (whether it is motivated by love for neighbor or not) to effectively reduce the spread of this virus, and bring us back soon to a point where we can make contact with one another again.
• Father, reveal to your congregation of Trinity Church, and especially to the elders, ways in which we might love our neighbors better, more fully, more completely. Help us to have the willingness and selflessness to carry out these acts as we are able.

Trinity Questions #4: What about those churches that ARE meeting?

The most recent question I was asked, regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, is what my thoughts were about those churches that had determined NOT to cease meeting—and how that squares with the decision that we made regarding Trinity.

In this week's video I answer that question. Here it is:

Tomorrow I will post more, particularly with regard to application and prayer.

Trinity Questions #3: Fasting and Prayer—Resources and Prayer List

Yesterday I posted a video discussing the call for a congregation-wide day of fasting and prayer. Today I want to give you a few resources that will help you flesh out your sense of fasting and prayer even more.

Resources

To begin with, ByFaith magazine has a brief summary of the call for a day of prayer and fasting from the denominations mentioned in the video:

https://byfaithonline.com/a-call-for-prayer-fasting-good-friday/

Within that article, they provide a few links to other helpful resources:

• From the ACNA, the Most Reverend Dr. Foley Beach, archbishop, has offered A Guide to Prayer and Fasting.
• Dr. Richard Pratt, President of Third Mill Ministries, has also provided A Guide to Prayer and Fasting.
• There is also a Suggested Prayer List.

Finally, there is another article out there from Reformed Worship magazine, called A Primer on Congregational Fasting.

Prayer

The suggested prayer list provided in the ByFaith article is a very good resource. Some additional ways to pray beyond that, with more particular detail for our congregation.

• Pray for Trinity church members to remain healthy and virus-free, especially those who are older or have chronic illnesses.
• Pray for those of our members who must continue to work away from home to remain safe and protected from contagion and infection.
• Pray that Trinity would have ways and opportunities to minister to Rossville and Fayette County during the pandemic and following it.
• Pray that those in Fayette County and Rossville who are searching for truth and foundations would find it in Christ.

Trinity Questions #3: Fasting and Prayer

Continuing on through our discussions about questions and ideas about facing the pandemic, this week we will consider something that was announced on Sunday: that our Trinity session has called for a day of prayer and fasting on Good Friday, April 10.

What does that mean? Here's a video discussing it.

More to follow on Thursday.

Trinity Questions #2: Why? Prayers

Continuing on in our reflections about the mysteries of God, and how we live with them (and even embrace them) during challenging times, let's think about how we ought to pray about both the mysteries of God and the answers we sometimes seek.

Personal

Lord, for myself I pray that...

• I would learn to accept the limitations of my own knowledge and control of the world I live in, and that these limitations would increase my faith and trust in you.
• In times of crisis, trial, or challenge, I would embrace the mysteries of the faith and not push back against them, because I would see that your ways are higher than my ways, and your thoughts higher than mine.
• You would protect me from the temptation to think or speak with too much certainty or confidence in my knowledge of "why" things happen—from thinking that I am "wise in this age" and from "boasting in men."
• In times of anxiety, fear, depression, or doubt, that you would comfort me with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit and remind my soul that, while I may not know why things are happening the way that they are or how you will bring redemption during difficult circumstances, YOU know all things and can (and will) bring redemption to even the most challenging experiences.

Community/Church

Lord, for our church and community I pray that...

• Trinity Reformed Church would be a community where it is safe and healthy to embrace the mysteries of God, and not one in which we presume to know more of your ways than we actually can or do.
• In our local area—Rossville, Fayette County, the metro Memphis area—we would be a beacon of hope and encouragement even during mysterious times.
• All Christians would trust more, and believe more, in your higher ways, not boasting in men, and that our faith would draw unbelievers to you, inviting them into faith.