{"id":3595,"date":"2021-03-18T07:32:58","date_gmt":"2021-03-18T07:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stanwellroadbaptist.org.uk\/?p=3595"},"modified":"2021-03-19T10:39:19","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T10:39:19","slug":"prepare-for-re-entry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/stanwellroadbaptist.org.uk\/index.php\/2021\/03\/18\/prepare-for-re-entry\/","title":{"rendered":"Prepare for Re-entry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\"  id=\"_ytid_69880\"  width=\"640\" height=\"360\"  data-origwidth=\"640\" data-origheight=\"360\"  data-relstop=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LtmGAdm8bPQ?enablejsapi=1&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&modestbranding=0&rel=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Prepare for Re-entry<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the week of the first anniversary of the first national lockdown due to COVID-19 and as the current lockdown restrictions begin to ease, I sense that it is good for us&nbsp;&nbsp;consider how we being to prepare ourselves for re-entry into the \u2018new normal\u2019 \u2013 as individuals, churches and society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To help us to do this, I\u2019m drawing on the Biblical account of Noah and in particular how he and his household emerged from more than a year in lockdown aboard the ark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Noah \u2013 But that\u2019s just a myth isn\u2019t it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It isn\u2019t necessary to believe that there was literally a global flood to draw lessons from the story of Noah.&nbsp;&nbsp;Scientific study of God\u2019s creation and modern archaeology both challenge a literal interpretation of the idea that there a flood that covered the whole earth. But there are numerous flood stories in Babylonian and other cultures and it is possible that there was some kind of regional flood which covered the known world of those living in the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like other passages in Genesis 1-11, known as the \u2018primeval narratives\u2019, it is important remember that whilst the bible is written for all of us, these passages were not written TO us.&nbsp;&nbsp;They were framed in a way which the people living in ancient times could relate to. The style of literature they were used to wasn\u2019t literal or a historical account, and the account takes place within their understanding of cosmology and geography.&nbsp;&nbsp;This doesn\u2019t mean though that it is a human invention or that the account doesn\u2019t carry important insights about God\u2019s dealings with humans and rest of creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The three stages of Noah\u2019s re-entry<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We read the account of Noah\u2019s re-entry in Genesis chapters 8 and 9.&nbsp;&nbsp;Key points to note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Genesis 8:1 \u2013 \u2018But God remembered Noah\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After 12 long months adrift on the seas, it must often have seemed to Noah and his family that there was no hope.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Were they doomed to live the rest of their lives in lockdown?&nbsp;&nbsp;But God had mercy and remembered them and the flood waters receded.&nbsp;&nbsp;He blew by his spirit (the Hebrew for wind and spirit in this passage are the same word).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Noah\u2019s re-entry then had three main steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" type=\"1\"><li>God&nbsp;<strong>commanded<\/strong>&nbsp;him to come out of lockdown in the ark<\/li><li>Noah&nbsp;<strong>consecrated&nbsp;<\/strong>himself afresh to the Lord making a sacrifice of some of the clean animals from the ark.<\/li><li>Noah began to&nbsp;<strong>cultivate&nbsp;<\/strong>the land to obey God\u2019s command to be fruitful and multiply.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Come out<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We have very different experiences of the last 12 months. Some of us have gone to work as normal, others have been shielding and rarely left our homes.&nbsp;&nbsp;For some of us, coming out of lockdown restrictions and interacting with people again face to face may be a scary prospect.&nbsp;&nbsp;The vaccine offers some comfort but we may experience a kind of culture shock as live gets busier again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people who have been on the frontline and those who have lost relatives to COVID-19 will need time to grieve and recover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>God\u2019s command is to come out, to re-emerge and re-engage and to trust him with the plans he has for our futures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we do this, it is good to consider what we have learnt in lockdown that we want to keep hold of as well as what hasn\u2019t been good and which we need to let go of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Discussion points on coming out<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, many of us have learned to make more effective of digital technology and ways of connecting virtually.&nbsp;&nbsp;How do we build on this in the way we are church in future.&nbsp;&nbsp;Can we broadcast our sermons in future?&nbsp;&nbsp;Should we have a much stronger on-line presence? Are there ways of making disciples on-line?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of us had had more contact with our neighbours than before.&nbsp;&nbsp;How do we build on these relationships.&nbsp;&nbsp;We may have developed a stronger sense of our local community.&nbsp;&nbsp;What does God want us to do to build on this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps the reality of a global crisis has come home to us for the first time.&nbsp;&nbsp;How might we use this experience to be more active on issues such as climate change?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The pandemic has opened up tensions between the generations. Many young people feel that they have made huge sacrifices to protect those of us who are older from a disease which discriminates by age.&nbsp;&nbsp;How can we build inter-generational solidarity as a church as hopefully we now we emerge from the pandemic?<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Consecration<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Genesis 8:20 we read that Noah built an ark and made sacrifices to the Lord.&nbsp;&nbsp;The aroma pleased God and he made a promise (covenant) never to flood the earth again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Discussion Points on Consecration<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we emerge from lockdown restrictions, how might we celebrate God\u2019s mercy and deliverance?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is there a place for the churches in Penarth to call a day of prayer of thanks for deliverance at some point?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or maybe Stanwell (perhaps with Eden) should mark this in some way in our own service(s)?&nbsp;&nbsp;Could we have a special event that we invite the community to thank God \u2013 that he hasn\u2019t forgotten us, for the vaccine, for the \u2018flood waters\u2019 of the pandemic receiving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cultivate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Genesis 8 and then again in chapter 9 God commands Noah and his sons to multiply, be fruitful and fill the earth.&nbsp;&nbsp;He gives them authority over the rest of creation. This both re-states his command to Adam and foreshadows Jesus\u2019s command to his disciples to go into all the world making disciples in the authority he gives us and in the knowledge that he is with us always, even to the ends of the earth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We read in Genesis 9:20 that in response \u2018Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to play a vineyard\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Discussion Points on Consecration<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What is your \u2018vineyard\u2019?&nbsp;&nbsp;What has God equipped you \u2013 in terms of your gifts and passions \u2013 to cultivate as we emerge from lockdown?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Which communities are you called to serve?&nbsp;&nbsp;What is your mission field?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the same questions for Stanwell Church \u2013 which ministries does the church pick up again where it left off?&nbsp;&nbsp;And what new opportunities are there?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is there fallow ground that we need to be ploughing up and making productive again 0r for the first time (see Jeremiah 4:3) \u2013 in our lives and in our church?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Steve Martin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>17<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;March 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Prepare for Re-entry In the week of the first anniversary of the first national lockdown due to COVID-19 and as the current lockdown restrictions begin to ease, I sense that it is good for us&nbsp;&nbsp;consider how we being to prepare &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/stanwellroadbaptist.org.uk\/index.php\/2021\/03\/18\/prepare-for-re-entry\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-weekly-video-message"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/stanwellroadbaptist.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/stanwellroadbaptist.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/stanwellroadbaptist.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stanwellroadbaptist.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stanwellroadbaptist.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3595"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/stanwellroadbaptist.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3595\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3598,"href":"http:\/\/stanwellroadbaptist.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3595\/revisions\/3598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/stanwellroadbaptist.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stanwellroadbaptist.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stanwellroadbaptist.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}