One of the lessons the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us is the need to seek God. Adrian McLernon, minister of Drumbo congregation, reflects on what it has meant to seek the Lord’s wisdom and follow where he is leading during the uncertainties of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The descent of the fog

In 2019 the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s tour director, Scott Lenning, spoke about an “unpredictable time in British history” and the “hope-giving message of the cross of Jesus Christ.”

As 2020 dawned I was full of optimism. We had completed a three-month partnership with Crown Jesus Ministries to help prepare for the challenge of ministry into a new decade. The key themes of discipleship, evangelism, leadership development and prayer had been to the fore of this process.

Having served in the congregation of Drumbo for over 16 years I was genuinely excited and passionate about the opportunities that lay ahead in the journey of faith. Humanly it was all fitting together very neatly. But in the space of ten days certainty waned and uncertainty descended like a coastal sea fog, disorientating and unclear when it would lift.

On Tuesday 17 March there was the announcement that in-person services of worship would cease as part of the initial Covid-19 restrictions. I was faced with the unnerving prospect that the fulcrum of church life, corporate worship, could no longer happen in person. This monumental shift for the greater good was hugely unnerving as the rhythms of almost 30 years of ministry revolved around Sunday worship.

Entering the world of fear

While recording material for our Sunday Service on Friday 27 March I struggled to breathe. While there was no high temperature or persistent cough, my favourite coffee blend tasted different! By the beginning of the week, I couldn’t hold a telephone conversation and minimum exertion left me gasping. Thankfully, after a few days I was recovering without the need of hospital treatment but my Covid-19 encounter was enough to fuel further uncertainty while affording me an insight into the world of fear that coronavirus breeds.

Faced with uncertainty, where did I turn?

It was primarily to the great truths of the character of God, his knowledge, his power and his presence that I found much solace.

I especially encountered huge comfort as I plundered the depths of Psalm 139.

The God who is already there

As the psalmist pondered the Lord’s knowledge, he recognised that wherever he went the Lord is already there. It began to dawn upon me afresh that he lives among his people and in his people. He is always present whether we believe it or not. He is present in my darkest moments. He is in my Covid, my personal loss, my pain, my isolation and my grief.

Not only is he there but we can also relate with him. The psalmist writes, “He will call on me, and I will answer him” (Psalm 91:15).

Now don’t ask me how? But believe me - it works! The Scriptures tell us to walk by faith and not by sight and this is one of those occasions when we don’t fully understand how it works. Rather we need to trust God’s promises and rejoice when we feel the warm embrace of his presence.

Navigating uncharted waters together

As I was grappling with a range of factors fuelling a sense of uncertainty, I soon realised I was not alone. As a fellowship we were in uncharted waters, concerns were real, fear palpable – we were facing an uncertain future. I was drawn to the words of popular Christian author Francis Chan - “imagine if the Church, purged until all that was left was a group of people with a Bible, a cup and some bread. For some that sounds boring; for others it sounds ideal. For many around the world, that is all they have ever known of Church and they love it.”

As the elders considered our new context, we concluded that the key themes of discipleship, evangelism, leadership development and prayer were still our priority. We now had to see ways of doing ministry without the use of buildings and in-person gatherings. While much has been stripped away through the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, we still have the core elements.

Thankfully with technology we have been able to connect with a wider audience by encouraging them to seek the Lord through live streaming worship services, utilising our YouTube channel, Zoom and Facebook to share daily devotionals, prayer times, virtual coffee mornings and children’s ministry activities. Having witnessed the popularity of the Thursday night support for NHS workers and the opportunity to visibly unite behind ‘a message’ we took the nativity to the community on the Sunday afternoon before Christmas. In advance, we delivered a chocolate orange to every home in the village with an invitation to come to the front door at a specific time on the Sunday afternoon to watch a ‘travelling nativity’. On the day, we had socially distanced nativity characters on the back of a lorry retelling the story, followed by socially distanced musicians and carol singers. The Lord is already present in our communities – we just need to make him visible. For many of us it was the highlight of a dark year as we saw faces filled with the joy of Christmas.

Great certainty. Great hope

As I write on Easter week, seeking the Lord has been at the fore of our activities. We completed 40 days of prayer and fasting, an online Christianity Explored course and over 30 people have committed to join ‘Life Groups’ made up of three people to meet virtually around the Bible for growth, encouragement and accountability. We produced a ‘Drumbo Journey to the Cross’ family daily devotional video and guest online Easter reflections.

But best of all we gathered for socially distanced in-person worship on Easter Sunday and were reminded of the great certainty of Jesus’ death and resurrection and the hope of a new heaven and new earth.

Covid-19 has robbed us of much leaving many feeling very uncertain, but the Lord is in our communities and the time is right to make him visible with the certainty of faith. In his hands, our witness is no less effective. This is indeed an “unpredictable time in British history”, but the opportunities of seeking God through the “hope-giving message of the cross of Jesus Christ” brings certainty.

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This blog is part of a wider series under the campaign, Refined to help members and congregations during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Visit the Refined hub here.