Over the last several months we have seen the world come to a screeching halt. But God has not stopped His work.
I can look out my window today and see something that I’ve seen every year at this time. A round yellow flower. And not just one round yellow flower, a bunch of them. Dandelions. I used to look at them as a weed to get rid of, but today I am seeing them as a sign the world has not stopped.
Plants are emerging, flowers are blooming, grass is growing, trees are budding, animals are running around. Bees are buzzing, ants are marching, and yes, dandelions are showing their yellow faces. If left unchecked, those yellow flowers will soon turn to fuzzy seeds that will scatter and disperse all over the neighbourhood.
We often think of the church as a gathering place. It is the assembly of people who believe. But in this challenging time when the church cannot be gathered it can be scattered to carry the good news. You and I are the scattered church!
In Acts 8:1 it says, “And Saul (later Paul) approved of his (Stephen’s) execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”
This same Paul later continued the movement and saw the church scattered to the world. “For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.” (Col. 1:27 NLT)
Can our desire to be the scattered church be just as strong as our wish to gather together? I don’t know about you, but I have talked to my neighbour more in the last 2 weeks than I have in the last 15 years. Let’s not only desire to be the church gathered, but also the church scattered.
