It has been a deluge. Information, opinions, perspectives, denials, announcements, and no doubt much more to come. Christians have been just as prolific as the rest. Exploitation of the pandemic for other agendas has been equally voluminous, from politicians and some media outlets with primarily political agendas through to the horde of conspiracy theorists.
Christian input has rightly focused on the faithfulness of God in life and death; His sovereign peace, grace and mercy with us no matter the hardships and circumstances. Mostly it has been individualistic in nature except for the various exhortations about how we can still be church together when meeting is not the smart thing to do. My intention here is not to duplicate the many inputs already happening on how International Church (IC) leaders in times of social distancing can best serve their people, build up the church, and be a missional presence beyond the church. My focus is more medium to long term, though all that follows should shape how each of these is undertaken now.
One perspective is noticeably absent. Yet, it is one of the most important questions for the people of God. I am searching for something beyond us. I want to discern the times, to read between the lines to see what might be the work of God towards His Kingdom’s fulfilment. That is, how might God be utilizing these times of COVID-19 to further the Kingdom?
God keeps His mind and vision on the future. He stays the course towards the Kingdom filling the earth, towards the renewal, liberation and reconciliation of all things. So whatever else may be happening, God is at work within the pandemic, and its global consequences, so as to complete His vision for the Kingdom. The created order (environmental and social) is struggling yet God assures us He will transform this creation into the new creation.
There are times when God intentionally allows situations to go from bad to worse, to give them up to the consequences of human sin and foolishness, so as to open our eyes to the ignorance, arrogance and presumption that drives societies towards self-destruct (Proverbs 1:20-33). His purpose is not primarily about judgement and punishment as some Christians are inclined to comment though such times always serve as warnings. Rather, God keeps His mind and vision on the future. He stays the course towards the Kingdom filling the earth, towards the renewal of all things. So whatever else may be happening, God is at work within the pandemic, and its global consequences, so as to complete His vision for the Kingdom.
Exposé. Herein is an important feature of God’s Kingdom work, exposing the true nature of human society in general and the people of God in particular. Through these exposés, God reveals to us what we must attend to. Through the Spirit, He works to reveal sin and all its consequences. He is the God of radical and uncomfortable exposé, He is the God of the prophets denouncing the injustices, systemic corruption, and idolatries of nations.
What then is being exposed in these times? Consider these two comments, both generalizations, both referring to complicated and divisive issues, yet both also pinpointing some of the ways these issues have been exacerbated and further exposed by the pandemic.
“The words ‘the pandemic has exposed’ have become a mantra, as existing fractures (apparent as they were to some of us) are revealed to all. The pandemic exposed our failing healthcare systems; the disparity between the perception of immigrants as a drain and the reality of them as pillars of our communities; the gulf between races and classes; the incompetence of our politicians; the fatal consequences of diminishing public services.”
“The COVID-19 crisis has, in fact, done to the whole world what Hurricane Katrina did in 2005 for New Orleans: in its devastating impact, it shows that the political and social timbers have already been rotting away.”
We can easily add to these:
- We have seen many exposing human nature and sin at its worst in various expressions of extreme self-centeredness, and many others exposing the opposite, humankind at its best, as so many make real sacrifices to care for the sick and the vulnerable: the image of God revealed.
- In similar ways, we have seen politicians at their worst, driven by political ambition, nationalistic jingoism, a willingness to play the blame game, minimizing the COVID-19 realities, claims to know better than the medical evidence, or simply lacking the intelligence to cope. Yet others, putting aside the political grandstanding of others, shine with deep compassion, evidence driven perspectives, and determination to do what must be done.
- As a human race, we are discovering that we have much less control over our lives than we have assumed, though more a discovery for the affluent and powerful than the poor. The poor already know how little power they have. We are more vulnerable than we like to think.
- Humanity has further intruded into wild spaces. Epidemiologists have been warning us for years that the likelihood of pandemics steadily increases as contact with wild species increases and human society becomes more crowded and mobile. Why have we not listened? Why so unprepared?
- Our growing reliance on air travel has made us vulnerable in various new ways.
- We trust the science and research that is inherent in the medical treatment we receive when we are seriously injured but reject the science and research if it gets in the way of our social and political ideologies. From climate change to COVID-19, we have seen this same rejection of inconvenient evidence. Expertise has been seriously devalued. We have seen so many with so little capacity to process information and evidence, so many with so little understanding of the realities of scientific/medical research. This has been exacerbated by the either/or thinking in which medical care and the economy, or climate and the economy, are played off against each other. Yet our God is holistic, His Kingdom is holistic, and our Christian calling is to be holistic both/and thinkers, refusing to play off one aspect of need for the sake of another.
- Despite the urgings of epidemiologists, we have discovered that our medical and hospital systems are not what they needed to be. Here we see the consequences of government failure to listen, to commit sufficient funds, and to ensure there are universal health care systems that provide for all equally regardless of wealth and income. This is especially real in those countries that discriminate against the poor with heavy costs for essential services, that base the level and quality of care on health insurance, that bind essential health insurance to employment contracts.
- Belligerent nationalism has increased, and global cooperation weakened. Criticism and competitiveness shapes too much of the relationship between nations especially the largest nations.
- We have seen the ways social networks rapidly spread misinformation, nonsense conspiracy theories, baseless speculations, fantasy pseudo-science, and various other agendas which further fragment society and undermine any attempt to unite all in the social contract needed to minimize the loss of life. Across the spectrum of opinion, we have seen many with questionable motivations and vested interests supporting or denying everything from nonsense theories to established scientific conclusions. Posturing oneself as an expert has become common amongst many who have no expertise at all.
- For Biblically minded people, we have been deeply saddened by the ways this pandemic has exposed the centuries old inequalities within nations. Self-isolating is impossible for most of the poor, those least able to afford the loss of employment have disproportionally lost their jobs, government assistance is so often too little or simply too complicated to access. Racial and ethnic discrimination and vulnerability have been further exposed. Many years of unjust low salaries have left most with nothing in reserve for hard times such as these.
This list is long and not complete. However, it highlights just how much life is holistic and integrated, systems within systems. Each part has consequences for the others. It is naive to imagine that one part can be fixed without also changing those many realities of life that feed into it.
God exposes such realities to warn us of the consequences of our foolishness, our neglect, our arrogance, our ignorance. In particular, He is exposing our failure to learn well from the revelation He has laid out for us in the created order, in history, in the Gospel and Kingdom vision, and especially in the Scriptures.
God exposes such realities to lay out for us the things we need to address, certainly in all of every society but especially is the life and mission of the church. What is a Christian missional response to these exposés?
Five Missional Engagements for Disciples of Jesus.
As disciples we walk in the footsteps of Jesus, servants or agents or cadres in Jesus’ Kingdom mission. We serve Jesus in the world by seeking the peace (well-being, wholeness) of the cities and countries in which God has placed us. Our vision and guide is the holistic Kingdom of God that will one day fill the earth with the knowledge of the glory of God. God’s exposé of the fault-lines of society enable us to see our calling in this context so that our mission to the world aligns with the work of God for the renewal of all things.
1. Gospel.
Isaiah sets our scene here, “Here is your God!” (40:9) and “Your God reigns!” (52:7). The Gospel proclaimers in the New Testament take up this bold perspective. Jesus featured the Kingdom/reign of God in Himself, Peter declared that this reign of God is in Jesus of Nazareth whom God has made Lord and Messiah (Acts 2:36). Paul declares that this Jesus is the Lord on whose name we must believe to be saved (Romans 10:8-13, 2 Corinthians 4:5-6). In various expressions the message is clear, in Christ God reigns and rules over all the earth, all nations and peoples, all facets of human society, every metre of the earth, the whole expanse of the heavens.
This Gospel brings salvation through the cross to all who repent and believe. It brings life and peace, grace and forgiveness. The life it brings is Kingdom life. Empowered by the Spirit, this is a life that incorporates us into the new world order of the Kingdom of God (nothing at all like the other new world orders many rightly fear). In Christ, God begins the work of preparing the nations for inclusion in the New Jerusalem.
So, the Gospel is a call to persons to believe because Jesus is Lord and Messiah, a declaration to the powers of evil (spiritual and human) that they are doomed, and a prophetic call to societies to align with the Kingdom agenda of Christ. The Gospel is filled with values and ethics for the ordering of life and society. The Gospel sets the framework for our Christian responses to the pandemic. The Gospel of Christ’s Lordship over all facets of life and society, is the beginning of God’s reconciliation with all things (Colossians 1:15-20), the liberation of creation (Romans 8:19-23), the renewal of all things (Revelation 21:5), the integration of all things under Christ (Ephesians 1:9-10).
The Gospel is one huge all-embracing promise that God will prevail and that nothing will prevent His fulfilment and completion of the Kingdom. It will fill the earth. God’s sovereignty is sufficient for us to live with hope and a future, and to be at peace in times of threat.
The Word of the Gospel is a lifestyle and practice as well as a message to be proclaimed. The Word that promises forgiveness will be discredited if we do not forgive one another. The Word that celebrates God’s love for the world will not be believed if we do not love others without discrimination. The Word that speaks of peace requires us to be peacemakers. The Word that anticipates new creation will have little credibility if we care little about the creation we already have. The Word that is good news to the poor will hardly be believed if we as God’s servants do not engage with the poor. The Word of reconciliation will be empty of its power if we do nothing about the fractured relationships around us: Christ is a mediator, we as priests are to be mediators.
The Word of truth will be treated with scepticism and dismissal if we fail to be consistently people of truth in all things. Already we have seen substantial numbers of people walking away from the faith because all they see of the faith in so many churches and Christians is hypocrisy and failure in all these items.
It is the Gospel that drives and shapes our missional response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gospel engaging with the fractures in the nations exposed by God. The prophetic Word woven into the good works of the Kingdom. Above all, this Gospel is a proclamation of hope for a broken world; hope because Jesus is enthroned over all of heaven and earth. And this Gospel promises a place in the new world to come for those who believe in Jesus.
2. Truth.
Perhaps it is obvious that we serve the God of all truth (John 3:33, 1 John 5:20), that grace and truth live in Jesus (John 1:14, 14:6), that a passion for truth is evidence of the presence of Christ in us, in whom are “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Truth is not something about which we can pick and choose. God’s love of truth is comprehensive and applicable to all of life and the created order, every nation and society, every issue currently being debated. A passion for truth is inextricably an outcome of knowing God.
When surrounded by the prophets of conspiracy theories and other forms of nonsense to justify various political ideologies or doomsday worldviews or just various forms of adolescent rebelliousness, Christians need to be seen to be people of truth. This means being people committed to evidence, information, research, critical analysis, careful articulation, and honesty. It means we will not misrepresent those with whom we disagree, we will not misrepresent our own perspectives with hyperbole or cover-up. Unfortunately, much of the evangelical church does not have a good reputation in this area thereby undermining the credibility of the Gospel.
In general terms, many Christians and churches are guilty of what Paul called “factionalism”, a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:20). “Divisions” is another word for it, but I still prefer the old RSV term “party spirit” so that the attitudes that feed factionalism are included. Party spirit, whether theological, racial, ecclesiastical, or political, is a loyalty that has priority over truth. For the sake of the party, we exaggerate the positives and blindly reject all critical analysis. “Truth is the first casualty of war” and the war may well be the wars of words and loyalties.
Truth includes what the Scriptures present and this truth has an authority and power that must not be weakened. How we engage with Scripture, and its application to all of life, will contribute towards how well our people learn to distinguish truth from error. Simplistic proof-texting, idealistic spirituality, the eisegesis of political ideology, or just moralizing the text are some of the many ways we can be unhelpful in teaching our people the value of truth and the ways of discernment and study needed to identify the truth.
Unfortunately, in our world with its flood of anti-truth gullibility, claims of fake news, and a paranoid readiness to latch onto any kind of bizarre alternative, we now face the need to teach Christians how to think. The capacity to think is an essential requirement for missional engagement. This includes:
- How to research and find the relevant evidence, and then process and evaluate this information.
- How scientific research works so they can discern the legitimate scientific claims from the dubious. You do not have to be a scientist here as there are established basic questions for this.
- How to see through the scams, the political rhetoric, the fanciful speculations on current events, and the hubris of some Christian leaders.
- The importance of critical analysis and why some claim this is bias when it is not. How to pick the difference.
- The anything-goes nature of social media whereas mainstream media has far more checks in the system, with one notable exception.
- That patriotism does not mean being positive about everything, that genuine patriotism includes critical analysis and prophetic critique.
- That any kind of party loyalty, including denominational and political, produces a real risk of compromising the truth.
Attention to these is not a lot of extra work. It is partly just a matter of good role models of thinking in preaching and teaching, and in helping people think through the application of Scripture to life and mission. It is about helping people see good examples of finding and processing the evidence from Scripture, and the evidence from life, needed for wise and mature application.
This is not a peripheral need. Capacity to think directly impacts all aspects of Christian life and mission. Capacity to think is an important part of the enlightenment that comes from the filling each day with the Holy Spirit (contrary to the mistaken idea that the Spirit’s work bypasses our minds). The capacity to think is a significant factor in discerning well how we are to love one another and love those in the darkness. The Gospel’s credibility is undermined every time Christians buy into arguments and opinions that lack credibility. For the sake of the credibility of our Gospel, our mission, our hope, we consistently must be people of truth.
3. Creation.
The creation, of which we are a part, is one of God’s awesome gifts to us. The created order is rich with beauty and aesthetic wonder, infinite diversity, stability and order, even as it is also so changeable from place to place and time to time. There are spiritual dimensions to this creation in that appreciation of the creation feeds our spirits and souls, even as the Spirit is permanently at work renewing the earth (Psalm 104:30) and the creation responds rejoicing in the glory of God. The creation is God’s storehouse for the provisions we need, air, food, water, relationships, shelter, purpose. We were created to be God’s fellow workers in the management and cultivation of His created order. We cannot do this if we are ignorant of the truth about this world God has put together.
The creation is also revelatory. The creation is a curriculum for learning. Paul tells us that the creation reveals the knowledge of God to us (Romans 1:19-23). In the Garden, Adam and Eve had much to learn to name animals appropriately, to cultivate the ground, and in time to develop community. The Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament grows out of observations about the created order and the experience of life. Here the Spirit has further enlightened this thinking to produce this literature for us. To be truly human is to be a person of learning. Wisdom is essential for the application of Scripture to life, and wisdom does not magically appear in a vacuum but through engagement with this curriculum God has laid out before us.
The Scriptures highlight the indispensable importance in learning from history. Without history, it is impossible to understand the present. The “Black Lives Matter” movement is a perfect example of this.
The Scriptures teach us much about being human, but God’s created order also teaches us about what it is like to be human. History, psychology and sociology, literature, life experience, relationships, caring for others, knowing oneself; these are all sources for learning about what it is like to be human. Obviously, human limitations being what they are, we need to be part of a community of learning so as to attend to the faults in our studies. It is also true that some have vested interests in imposing dodgy world views onto this learning, so critical analysis is essential for our understanding of Scripture and our understanding of the created order. Much teaching on discipleship, Christian life and church life, and mission is often unhelpful because of a lack of appreciation of the actual experience of simply being human. So much of Christian engagement with the world backfires because we lack a comprehensive understanding of humanity, because we have devalued God’s gift of the created order for our learning.
Science, with all its many disciplines, is simply the study of the created order. Out of this study (mostly good, sometimes bad) so many good things have been developed. We take it for granted as we drive our cars, get quality medical care, watch movies, use our smart phones, enjoy great cooking, live in comfortable homes, and the list goes on. We trust that the scientific research has been rigorous with the standard checks and balances built into the scientific method. Yet suddenly, we grasp onto denials and bogus theories as soon as the science disrupts our political ideologies, causes us to be fearful, or inconveniences us in some way.
Mistakes can be made in the early stages of scientific research when the full processes of checking and double checking have not yet been sufficiently extensive, addressing the many variables that could affect the outcome. COVID-19 research is still in these early stages. Climate change research was in this stage 30+ years ago but now the accumulation of research findings across the spectrum of relevant scientific disciplines leaves us in no doubt.
Problems arise when people do not understand how science works. Then they become vulnerable to the many claims that come through social media; often someone claiming to be a bone-fide expert with some breakthrough research finding. Then we discover the whole thing is fabrication. Understanding the way science works helps people to critique well and sort through fact from fiction. Understanding the scientific method helps people to see when a scientist makes claims beyond the evidence – the majority of scientists do not do this. This is why peer-review journals are so important.
Understanding the created order in all its diversity is an agenda God has presented us. This curriculum for our learning is fundamental to the application of Scripture. Scripture is to be applied to real life, so unless we understand the realities of life, our application will be counter-productive. Unfortunately, there are innumerable examples of this. To dismiss the essential nature of the created order as a curriculum for our learning is to dismiss what God has created for us, to dismiss such a gift is great foolishness. God is creator of all things yet we hardly can make such a claim if we fail to take seriously all He has made.
We clearly live in times of confusion, times of claims and counter claims, times in which Christians can be found on all sides of the debates, times in which truth and evidence and thinking have been devalued. In understanding our times, it is imperative that believers return to the ways of God, the ways of understanding and wisdom He has provided. Our witness to the world, our credibility, requires us to be people of truth, people of evidence, people of the creation and creation care, people who value the whole of all God has gifted to us for our learning and our living together on this planet.
4. Global cooperation.
Perhaps, one of the greatest exposés of this time is the fact that we live in a globalized world needing global cooperation and coordination. Xenophobia and nationalistic isolation do not work for anyone (except a few power-hungry leaders). Nationalism risks arrogance and disregard for others. It feeds fear and the demonizing of others. Nations need their independence and national identity but not when self-interest brings failure to partner with all nations to address global challenges. Civil wars and totalitarian regimes produce refugees who travel the world. Economic globalization has been with us for decades with both good and bad consequences. Wealthy countries have a moral obligation to help poor countries. Media, education, and travel simply highlight the global interdependence that is now a reality for us all. Climate change will only ever be addressed adequately with global cooperation. Pandemics are not the time for nationalistic grandstanding, obsessions with secrecy, denials for whatever reason, or presumptions to know better than others.
There is a pressing need for a new global order. Certainly not one of centralized, institutionalized power or loss of nationhood. But one of collaboration, equality, grace, justice, cooperation, and humility, together with a real willingness to contribute with love to the well-being of others across the global community. Nations working together in partnership is exactly the kind of maturity nations will need to enter the New Jerusalem when Christ returns. This is very much on God’s agenda and very much one key element in God’s work in the times of COVID-19.
The body of Christ is God’s prophetic voice for times such as these. But our words will be empty unless the same new global order can be found across the global church. There are evidences of growing networking, mutuality, cooperation, and partnership. But we have a long way to go. Let us ensure that in the International Church world, we are passionate in our work to demonstrate to the world the ways of God. And God’s way is that of “collaboration, equality, grace, justice, cooperation, and humility, together with a real willingness to contribute with love to the well-being of others.”
The independent spirit common in many churches and leaders is unacceptable. Our prophetic presence in the world is compromised by our distrust of one another, our legalistic fixations on secondary issues, our neglect of mutuality and partnership, our obsessive individualism, our over-confident presumptions. This is a kairos moment for the global church, an opportunity to show the way in international cooperation. Being intentional and proactive is fundamental, churches loving and serving one another, networking together, meeting together: at least locally in your city. The power of the cross is made visible when we love and forgive one another, and when we are passionate about unity across the body of Christ. The power of the cross prophetically demonstrated is when Ephesians 2:11-22 is a visible reality between us, all of us.
5. Justice for all equally.
Jesus’ Kingdom is “good news for the poor” (Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18, Matthew 11:5). What is stated succinctly here incorporates a major tradition found throughout the Old Testament. Throughout the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings can be found substantial requirements for the people of God to give priority to a wide range of people who struggle and suffer. Often, this is in summary statements such as “widows and orphans”, “refugees and strangers”, “poor and oppressed”. Put all this together and it is clear God has a strong passion for these “least” in society. God particularly cares for the ones most left out.
Many have noted that in times of epidemics over the past two millennia, Christians have stepped up sacrificially to care for the sick, the dying and the hungry: commonly putting their own lives at risk. This is quite similar to the doctors and nurses on the front lines treating the hospitalized COVID-19 patients. No doubt there are many other current examples such as the International Church operating a free meals programme for now unemployed migrants and refugees who have nowhere to go and receive no benefits from the government.
The pandemic has exposed just how much societies discriminate against many. Racial and gender prejudice, low wages that leave those losing their job with no backup, selective provision of government benefits and services, immigrants excluded in various ways, medical and hospital systems based on wealth rather than need, weak arrangements for caring for the mentally ill, and so on. The poor cannot isolate in conditions already far too crowded, cannot do online shopping, cannot afford to travel to find work, cannot often afford to see a doctor, cannot afford all the cleaning products needed to disinfect, cannot easily get access to needed information. Stress and anger are inevitable. To rub salt into the wound, they see and hear the media focusing on how hard it is for middle class people to have to stay at home, food delivered, internet and Netflix, books to read, hot and cold running water, and on-tap medical care if needed. True, for some the social isolation is really hard, the risks do significantly frighten some, cabin-fever can be real, financial pressures weigh on the mind, but some perspective is needed.
The Biblical word for these inequalities and discriminations is “injustice”. God is a just God who loves justice, hates inequality and discrimination, promises the Kingdom will be a world free from injustice, and works tirelessly towards justice, equality and peace. He sends the Servant Messiah to bring “justice to the nations” (Isaiah 42:1). God hates the way some Christians try to circumvent the recurring Biblical passion for justice and equality or buy into all the ignorant presumptions about the poor used to justify inaction. Because justice matters, truth matters, creation matters, humanity matters, Biblical instruction matters, we Christian people must be people of justice for those most discriminated against, those who most struggle and suffer. Broadly referred to, these are “the poor”.
Many Christians are already engaged in Gospel and practical care for the poor. Word and deed integrated, prophetic advocacy to governments and societies is real, sacrificial care for the least in society in the provision of food and medical care is routine, sincere friendship and non-judgmental acceptance are foundational. These are the faithful walking in the missional footsteps of Jesus. They should be the norm across the Christian community, sadly they are the exception.
The glory of God is revealed when His people function in the world in accordance with His character, His values, His agenda, His passions. His love. The poor must feature in our discipleship for this to be so. If not, our practice represents a different god, a false god. We all have diverse opportunities, diverse gifts, diverse limitations. There is no formulaic response but there must be an intentional looking out what we can do. None of us can do everything but we can all do something, at the very least offer prayer and friendship. Learn to see the world through the eyes and real-life experiences of the poor (something that doesn’t happen easily for Westernized middle-class conservatives).
Conclusion.
God has revealed much about the state of our world through this pandemic. We must understand these times for what God is highlighting for us. He is at work to put all things to right, we are His servants, His workforce, for this future. To do so, Christians and the church must face the imperatives God has revealed to us. We need a real Holy Spirit driven passion for the Gospel of Jesus and the Kingdom, the truth in all things, the learning God provides throughout the created order, the global unity of the body of Christ, and the commitment to ensure the Gospel is fleshed out in a passion for God’s justice for the poor.
The Gospel promises salvation to all who believe. The Gospel declares that God forgives and gives life because Jesus died the death that should have been ours. The Gospel is rich with grace and mercy. The Gospel brings believers into a new creation, a new world, a new citizenship, a new hope, a new society, a new vision for heaven and earth coming together as the dwelling place of God and the Lamb. The Gospel engages people with the transforming and empowering work of the Spirit. The Gospel promises a hope and a future.
How might those yet to believe understand? What might persuade them that this Gospel is real, authentic, credible, truthful, grounded? It is the resurrection of Jesus by which God confirms the truth about Jesus, and it is resurrection life practiced by the servants of God that reveals the truth and power of resurrection. This resurrection life is new creation, missional in character, holistic, overflowing with passion for God’s created order and the people within it, especially those most vulnerable to the injustices in every nation.
I have written in generalizations, hopefully stimulating many questions, hopefully more questions than answers! Additional missional imperatives can easily be identified.
Four final points:
- These five missional imperatives give us perspectives for how we think about our part in God’s mission in the actual world of today, an agenda for our research and learning as we seek to engage the whole Gospel with the totality of life on God’s earth.
- Generally, we have over-spiritualized and over-individualized the faith and left many Christians without understanding of these matters. We have much catch-up before us.
- The application of this general overview is for you to figure out together. No one else can do this for you! Each church and context is unique and you and your church collaboratively will need to think through how these best shape your missional engagement. There are no cookie-cutter packaged solutions that you can take from somewhere else and simply drop into your own context.
- No one, no church can do everything. But if you are engaged with each of these five imperatives, the Spirit will lead you forward into what you should do.
Through the cross comes peace through the reconciliation of all things to God (Colossians 1:15-20). May your church be a living testimony to this truth of the cross. May His Word and His Spirit fill you and make it so.
