I saw someone post on Facebook the other day that they were desperate for something to talk about that wasn’t Coronavirus. On one level, we understand that – and yet, the nature of what we face is that this isn’t a passing event or trend. It seems to present a whole new landscape of life. We live in culture-shock and grief, both for what has happened and what will happen.

Combine this with the fact that we have – at least to some degree – more time on our hands, then it’s no wonder that there’s all manner of Corona-content to be discovered online.

So, like last week, in the Refill we’ve largely gone for seven areas, rather than seven specific links. Don’t be overwhelmed by this. Pick what grabs you or what might be useful to you this week. Then make sure you give yourself some disconnection time too…

1) How the World Worshipped on One of the Most Unusual Sundays in Church History – Ok, so it’s probably something we’re going to have to get used to – whether on/off or not. But it’s worth reflecting and pausing on the significance of last Sunday (and this article is basically some fun global photos of people’s homes). For that reason, Andrew Wilson is encouraged that Coronavirus may well be making us more like the New Testament church. Ian Paul makes sure we’re thinking theologically: ‘What is the meaning of “online church”?‘ By the way, when it comes to Sunday ‘virtual’ gatherings, this video on Understanding Copyright for Your Streamed Worship is helpful – along with the links.

2) Discipling our Kids During Isolation – Some really helpful stuff from the team at 10ofthose in this article, grouped into age appropriate wisdom (i.e. toddlers, primary school, teens). Do give it a read. Also worth noting for the kids: the Good Book Company have given permission for people to read their brilliant children’s books on church live streams and social media posts – and there’s a number of video readings like the fab, The Garden, The Curtain & The Cross here. Christian kids’ singer-songwriter Colin Buchanan is recording some free-to-download videos that seem perfect for online church (we’re using one today) – get them here. And it just gets better: the epic Awesome Cutlery are playing a live gig on their Youtube channel on Monday at 4pm.

3) Music – We all need a soundtrack amidst these crazy times. The Gray Havens are fab folksy Christian couple who have lots of Tolkienesque lyrics to their songs. They played an acoustic concert this week – you can watch it here. I know a lot of people are listening in to Olly Knight leading singing on midweek mornings – and Olly’s written a beautiful track, ‘You Hold the World’, in the past week or so – give it a listen and get your heart warmed by good news. EMU Music’s recent song, ‘Creation Awaits’, is also timely.

4) Ethics & Care – This is a very important video from GP Andy Knox on care planning amid COVID-19. Perhaps worth every extended family watching and discussing. Russell Moore also notes the importance of seeing that every human life is precious. Mel Lacy offers some very helpful wisdom on caring for single people, for whom this might be an especially challenging time. To give you some more ideas, 10 ways churches can help during the coronavirus pandemic gives a helpful practical guide to serving as churches and individuals. 

5) Mission & Ministry amidst Coronavirus – Last week I shared about a handy little leaflet, ‘Hope Beyond Coronavirus’, that shares the gospel into the context of Coronavirus. Its writer, evangelist Roger Carswell, has now recorded a video of him sharing the message visually. And if you want to hear from those who have ‘gone before us’, this interview with Mark Oden, a church pastor in Naples, Italy, has a bunch of ideas and reflection.

If you haven’t shared with local press about what you’re upto as a church, why not try that? We got a positive response when we did. And reports like this on ITV do suggest this is an opportunity to engage with people who wouldn’t ordinarily go to the church. Along those lines, the ‘Evangelism in Lockdown’ podcast episode from Speak Life sees a number of Christians from different contexts share their reflections and experiences so far on ‘reaching out when we can’t go out’.

6) Culture Shifts and Grief: Leading Beyond the Blizzard: Why Every Organization Is Now a Startup – This interview with Andy Crouch is well worth engaging with. For church ministers especially, this offers some particular guidance on leading congregations through trauma and tragedy. I’ve also seen a couple of engaging pieces on grief and anxiety in the secular press. ‘That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief‘ is a fascinating interview with grief expert David Kessler, and similarly therapist Julia Samuel looks at managing anxiety. There’s some fascinating quotes, as pointed out by Jeremy Marshall: “We seem happy to talk about sex or failure, or to expose our deepest vulnerabilities, but on death we are silent. It is so frightening, even alien, for many of us that we cannot find the words to voice it… the pain we feel is invisible, an unseen wound.” Praise God for the gospel.

7) When Will My Life Begin? – For something a bit different, turn away now if the idea of watching a family ‘stay-at-home’ montage to a Disney soundtrack makes your gag… but we enjoyed making this and hope it might raise a smile amidst everything else…!

Quote of the Week: 

“We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.”

— Anon.

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These are strange times. But here’s your seven up…

1) Reflecting theologically on Coronavirus – It’s early days, isn’t it. But these two pieces caught my eye: The Corona Virus Experiment and The Hard Road Ahead – and both seem to have important points to make. It was also pointed out to Tony Payne that in his classic ministry book The Trellis & the Vine (written in 2009), he gets churches to imagine that a pandemic has meant public gatherings of more than three people were banned – and so how would a church of, say, 120 people, continue to function? Read him reflecting back on that here, as we now face the reality of that situation.

2) Evangelism in a Pandemic – It strikes me that this season of our nation/world’s life is one in which God may be drawing many to himself as we face the fragility of our lives, the reality of death, and the hopelessness of secularism. This practical article, ‘Being Salt and Light in Isolation‘, is a good general starting point. Roger Carswell has written a great little tract which you can read and order here. John Lennox has also written a short book available from next week, ‘Where is a God in a Coronavirus World?‘. For a limited time, Christianity Explored Ministries have also put all of their course films on their YouTube channel to make them easier to share: Christianity Explored, Life Explored, and Discipleship Explored. They also have a couple of useful short videos to share: ‘If God exists, why is there suffering?‘ and ‘Isn’t the chaos in the world a sign of God’s absence?’ I think people will increasingly be looking for ‘answers’, and as one of the broadsheet columnists put it this week, there is a need for spiritual leadership that speaks of Jesus in such a season.

3) Singing of Lasting Hope – Christians have always expressed their joy and hope amidst trial through singing. This recently recorded song, ‘Christ our Hope in Life and Death’ is brilliant from Keith Getty, Matt Papa, Matt Boswell, Matt Merker, and Jordan Kauflin. We’ve also been enjoying singing praise with Olly Knight live each midweek morning, 8.30-9am, as well as Michael Tinker’s family songs and puppets at 11am daily midweek.

4) Leadership when everything changes – Chris Green has written some stimulating fairly punchy articles, including ‘Leading in a time of uncertainty’ and ‘Communicating in a time of chaos’, which are good to think through.

5) Family Life & Worship amid Isolation – My friend Jon Lindsay has written this piece full of ideas on ‘Making the most of Isolation‘. Matt Lillicrap’s article, ‘Engaging with a Live-Streamed Service as a family‘, is worth a read. One C of E diocese have launched the Bible Chat Mat, which looks fun. Tamar Pollard has collated a whole heap of family-focused resources here. And I’m really looking forward to tuning into Ed from Faith in Kids demonstrate how to do ‘warts & all’ family church this afternoon at 2pm, live on the Faith in Kids Facebook page (or watch the recording after) – there’s also a teaser here!

6) Ministry amidst Coronavirus – Nick Moore has written a very engaging piece on church life in this season of social separation, ‘Praying at a spatial distance‘. You might also like ‘Digital Content Ideas During the COVID-19 Outbreak’. 

7) Online Preachers On Fire! – For something a bit different, fair play to vicar Stephen Beach for sharing his ‘live broadcast’ escapades – and seeing the funny side! And as many of us begin using Zoom for video meetings, I also had to laugh at this…

We shared a whole host of links to help your church amidst COVID-19 in last week’s Refill. So do check there if you haven’t. I especially highlight, ‘Mum, what does God think of Coronavirus?’ – great for parents.

Quote of the Week: 

“Christianity that ignores the reality of death is utterly inauthentic. We need songs that are honest about the grave, for we have real hope to offer our troubled world.”

– Keith Getty

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Seven up…

1) 8 Things the Coronavirus is Teaching Us – A pastor ministering in Naples, Italy’s third city, offers eight things we’d “all do well to learn, or relearn, from this coronavirus scare”. A great starting point if you want to help people reflect on COVID-19 through God’s lenses. If you’re looking for wisdom in ‘translating’ this to children, Sally Lloyd-Jones has a great piece on ‘Helping Children With Scary News‘.

2) Modelling Love not Fear – Love in the Time of Coronavirus – This is a really helpful short essay for Christian leaders from Andy Crouch in the US, a Christian leader and author I rate very highly (Justin Taylor summarises here) looking at our communal response of love. For an extensive updating list of US resources, see here. Similarly, this is a ‘live’ list of digital communication tools, compiled by Christian comms leaders in the UK. This little adaptable postcard-sized note to pop through neighbours’ doors has gone viral online.

3) Prayer and Song – Check out ‘Songs of Comfort for Anxious Souls (Free Playlist)‘, a fabulous free playlist of songs, hymns, and psalms set to music, helping take our hearts to the ‘Mighty Fortress’ who is our God (Spotify/Apple Music). Kristi Mair offers some reflections on learning how to pray at this time. This is a similar printable list, perhaps useful for church members.

4) Coronavirus: How Should Christians Respond To The Threat of COVID-19?  – John Stevens reflects on Psalm 91, and the way in which some Christians throughout history have mistakenly taken this Scripture as a definite promise they will not be touched by plague or illness. In ‘The Fear of Death and How to Deal with It‘, Jeremy Marshall reflects on how we might face the fear of death.

5) Looking Back Through History – This is a fascinating take on ‘How Washington DC Churches Responded When the Government Banned Public Gatherings During the Spanish Flu of 1918’. CS Lewis also has some wise reflections from his era of living under threat of the ‘atomic bomb’. And then there’s Martin Luther’s words to those fleeing the plague.

6) How to Livestream Your Church Service: A Practical Guide – It may be that this is useful in the coming weeks. The Church of England also has a similar selection of tips on ‘going live for free’.

7) Memes are an unexpected ally in the fight against coronavirus – For something a bit different, it’s striking how humour is bubbling up in the midst of all this fragility. I can’t vouch for all of these, but they’ll raise a smile. There’ll be different and understandable reasons for that. On the one hand, there’s almost the denial response – ‘if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry’ – but then maybe there’s a creaturely laughter that understands the fragility and helplessness of the human predicament.

For a bonus, if you’ve got a bit more time on your hands at home, why not give a listen to this talk on the subject of suffering – and how Christians can believe in a good God in the midst of suffering. The speaker, David Shaw, does something I’ve not seen done before, and takes the Lord’s Prayer as the launchpad for his presentation.

Quote of the Week: 

“We should not say, “Everything’s going to be fine,” or even, “You’re going to be okay”. We should not say to fearful people, “You’re overreacting.” Rather, we should say, “Love is the reason we are changing our behaviour,” even “Prepare for trouble,” but above all, we should say, “You do not have to be afraid…”

– Andy Crouch

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