Yesterday Per Byland, an economist at Oklahoma State University, wrote a Twitter thread discussing the effects of the coronavirus and government policies on employment. He’s convinced these are accelerating the “Information Revolution.” For a while, we’ve seen how the internet, online resources, and artificial intelligence have changed how we work, shop, and conduct business. But Byland claims that the present disruption of the economy will hasten the transition.
For example, as more companies set up their employees to work from home, they won’t need to bring them back to the office once this crisis passes. People will get used to the idea of remote work and many will want to stick with it. Others will fight the new reality and seek to restore a fading status quo.
Byland highlights those whose jobs or skills won’t survive the transition to an information-based economy. A few days ago, I received an email from the Illinois I-PASS system announcing it suspended toll booth collections. To reduce human interaction, it’s going with electronic payments only. If this program succeeds, why would the state bring back the collectors? Union contracts might keep these jobs safe for now, but you can see where this is going!
And the professor asked how governments can distinguish between essential services that must continue and those which it deems dispensable. My hair grows fast enough for me to get it cut once a month, but to save money, I stretch it out to every six weeks. If I got a haircut last week, a salon is a non-essential business for me. But if I’m into the seventh week, that’s an emergency!
Byland’s point is that we’re not returning to the way things were. The economic practices of the nation, and perhaps its governance, are transforming. To what extent, we don’t know, but they’re changing.
What about the church? Will she emerge from these troubles unaffected or will she break with the past and adopt new approaches to ministering an ancient gospel?
The church, like the world, has made slow but steady progress accepting and utilizing the technology of the Information Age. For example, congregations have moved from hymnals to overhead projectors to PowerPoint to full presentation software packages. Sermons used to be recorded on cassettes and CDs but now you can find them on podcasts and live streams. Churches still produce bulletins but more and more are posting them online. Saves on printing!
So the body of Christ has availed itself of the latest technology before the outbreak and quarantines. In the past, all these resources fortified the common structure of church life. Services took place in buildings. They had worship teams, preaching pastors, and collections for the ministry. Most discipleship activities occurred in the building when church members gathered together.
But for the moment, Christians can’t get together. We can listen to a podcast, stream a service, and use social media, but to slow the spread of the coronavirus, we’re kept isolated from each other. The ability to live stream has enabled churches to “meet” when protocols restrict large public gatherings.
Eventually, these restrictions will ease up and we’ll be able to resume church life as we’ve known it. But will we want to?
What is God showing His people now? Is the way we’ve done church adaptable to current conditions? What’s essential to our faith journey with Jesus and what’s superfluous? Consider these topics:
Gatherings
Some places in the country forbid any assembly greater than ten people. Most churches have more members than that, so they can’t hold services but small groups qualify. What’s to keep Christians from assembling in groups that meet in homes, work sites, or even outdoors?
“On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. ‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord,’ she said, ‘come and stay at my house.’ And she persuaded us.” – Acts 16:13-15
Worship
The music ministry of a church can get complicated. Worship leaders have to deal with songs, instruments, sound equipment, and rehearsals. Quite a list! The results can be fantastic–inspiring us in our relationship with God.
But if we’re separated from one another by government edict, how are we supposed to worship the Lord? No problem, He has a way!
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship.” – Romans 12:1
It’s not easy, but it’s effective! Give yourself over to Christ; hold nothing back from Him. When you do, you will be worshipping Him as the Lord and Savior that He is.
Giving
Many churches have integrated donation links into their websites, so online giving has become routine. During this sudden economic downturn, people are starting to struggle with how to provide for themselves and their families. The need for believers to impact their communities has never been greater.
So we can fund our church by accessing the website, but we can also bless those around us who need help. These don’t conflict with each other; they reveal the character of Christ formed in the heart of a disciple.
“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” – Proverbs 11:25
Conclusion
The coronavirus will pass and the limitations we’re under will drop. When that happens, what will we, the church of Jesus Christ, look like? Will we be identical to what we were before all this happened, or will we have grown in unexpected ways? God’s Spirit wants to use this time to make us more like Jesus. And by His grace, He will!
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” – 2 Corinthians 3:18
Good thoughts, Bob. I’ve been reading Neil Postman’s book “Technopoly,” which bewails the way technology is changing our culture. But I see many of these changes as positive. I think the Church needed to leave the building years ago – just as persecution got the early believers to leave Jerusalem, maybe the one positive coming out of this crisis is to shake people out of their norm and rethink why we do what we do!
Rethink? Oh, we can’t do that! But you’re right Julia, we should take comfort in the fact that God oversees all the changes in our world. He knew this was coming and He’s confident that the body of Christ can handle it. This might require us to use technology even more than we have, at least in some areas, and we might have to abandon tech in other ways. But this situation is going to leave a lasting impression on the church’s self-perception.
I was waiting to hear from you concerning this time we are going thru being home. I can’t say I’m bored, lonely or don’t know what to do at ho me, but miss my friends. I am so thankful to have a roof over my head, shoes on my feet and food on my table, I rejoice living in this day. I just pray not to miss any opportunities to be the church!
I read in the Bible–“Be Still and Know that I am God!” Psalm 46:10—-The most important thing that ever happened in my life when I was 12 yrs old was getting to know the Lord as my personal Lord and savior to guide and be with me threw out eternity. My heart breaks for folks panicking right now who do not know there is a God who they could experience to give them peace/healing in this horiffic plague we’re walking thru right now.
We must remember as you mentioned, we are the church, not the bldg we gather in to encourage and edify ourselves to be disciples to get out in the world again and be JESUS!
I believe God is allowing this time to the church and the world to reach out and seek the wisdom of God as to a fresh enriching in our lives to draw closer to God, and also to see how we can make changes in our lives to make a better world to live in.
PS: I am personally just enveloping myself in studying God’s word doing an OT Bible study of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and Lamentations—Memorizing psalm 91, building up my faith by listening to certain pastors i listen to every day on TV. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. I just can’t get enough of it and thank God for this quaranteen he put me in to sit at his feet daily. ‘Tis too will pass and then it’s our turn again to be JESUS to the world in the good times as well as in the bad times. I believe this time of quieting ourselves at home will make great changes in all the world so we can all share the abundant life God has for us to it’s fullest.
Stay home, stay safe, Pray for mom/dad and especially for healling for Cassandra!!!!
The more of the Word you take in and process, the more you have to give away. I pray that Jesus will speak through you to bless others with the gospel!