Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 11
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time.
We are living through a significant moment in time. Right now, it’s a test. In the future it’ll be a testimony
The Impact of Pandemics
Past pandemics have been times of death and devastation, but also times to rebuild and reimagine. In fact, Pandemics often speed up trends that have been happening slowly. While they are also a disruptive force, in many ways they add fuel to a fire of change that was already burning.
The Antonine Plague (2nd century CE): which may have been Smallpox, ended the Pax Romana. This pandemic destabilised the Roman Empire, but also led to an increase in the popularity of the Christian faith. In unstable times people look for something firm to cling to.
The Black Death (1300s) wiped out half of Europe’s population and changed the course of Europe’s history. It ended the feudal system. With so many dead, workers were harder to find. This led to better pay and conditions. Survivors also had access to higher-quality bread and meat. Not as much land was needed to grow crops for a diminished population. So, more land was dedicated to livestock. These changes led to an increase in health and lifespan. The labour shortage also contributed to technological innovation.
The Black Death became the catalyst to improve hygiene & introduce quarantine procedures. People experienced new freedoms and better pay. The Black Death also paved the way for the Renaissance and the Reformation, as well as the rise of a Middle Class. It was “A time to reimagine.”
The end of chattel slavery in the New World was the direct result of the yellow fever pandemic.
Pandemics, as with all crises, see an increase in creativity with art, music, books, movies, and plays all springing from themes of social solidity, life and death, pain and sorrow, and even comedy.
2021 Trends - “A time to reimagine.”
Return of the road trip
Increased telemedicine
Virtual curriculum
Family-first jobs
Recreation & hobbies: Cooking, games, walks in nature
Working away from the office
A slower pace of life
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life” (1 Thess. 4:11)
We want to respect where people are at right now. We’re going to ease into 2021 and see what God has for us, where the Spirit leads us:
Exodus 13:21
John 3:8, Jesus said, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
TPT Notes: If our new birth is so mysterious, how much more will be the ways of living each moment by the movement of the Holy Spirit?
With all of these and more changes in society, how will the church respond? I believe it “A time to reimagine” church. To start seeing things in a different way!
Bayside Church Initiatives (2021)
Activities of community: Live life together
• Reimagine community through in-person gatherings, online, connect groups and pop-up community events.
Activities of growth: Become more like Jesus
• Establish Bayside’s discipleship pathway – Bayside Steps – and introduce Step to Leadership
o (Introduce Freed to Lead as Advanced Step for staff for late 2021 and look at introducing this step in 2022 as part of advanced training).
• Read the Gospels with a special focus on what Jesus was like and how we might become more like him. (Facebook Group)
Activities of justice, mercy and faith: Active love
• Reimagine what it looks like to love your neighbour. Create your own stories of justice, mercy and faith.
Discussion Questions
The Bible says, “God…has made everything beautiful in its time.” Share stories from your own life where you’ve found this to be true?
What do you think you’ll tell the next generation (in 20- or 30-years’ time) about your experiences of living through a global pandemic?
Discuss this statement, “Pandemics often speed up trends that have been happening slowly. While they are also a disruptive force, in many ways they add fuel to a fire of change that was already burning.” What have you seen change already? What other changes do you think we’ll see?
Many people are saying they’re looking for a slower pace of life. Does that reflect your feelings? If so, how do you think you may slow your life a little?
Discuss: “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life” (1 Thess. 4:11)
Discuss the Bayside Church Initiatives for 2021. Which one(s) do you resonate with? Which one(s) will you engage with and how?