Have you considered that the church is in captivity at present?
Compared to this time last year, we have been uprooted and taken to a foreign land, been prevented from gathering for worship and being community together, and have had to adapt to a strange socially-distanced, infection-resistant way of living that we yearn to leave behind.
The book of Daniel follows the positioning of a faithful follower of God in the midst of enforced captivity. He had been removed from his home and taken as captive into the heart and palace of King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. This image courtesy of Moody Publishers, reminds us the conditions of the start of his captivity and unplanned interruption to his life. He lost everything he held dear - his name, his wealth, his customs, freedom of faith. He had to learn a new culture, languages, knowledge, and probably the intrigues and complexities of government service peppered with enchanters, magicians, and diviners. I can't help but draw comparisons to UK politics…
God has often used a place of exile to speak to His people, particularly when they need to be re-acquainted with who He is, free of the trappings and assumptions that may have built up over time. Church is not the building, and not being able to meet together in your building is an effective way of reminding us of this.
Daniel's intense trial has many parallels for us, and the lesson to be learnt is equally true.
Before you read further, I want to warn you that I'm not going to sensitively select my words, but convey the brutality and life-and-death scenario that Daniel faced.
First, in Daniel 2:5, the King pronounces:
‘This is what I have firmly decided: if you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble.'
For us today, an equivalent pronouncement would be, "Make changes to your organisation to deal with something that you can't see or detect. Otherwise, your building will become derelict and unusable, and you yourself will die from Covid-19."
Daniel 3:5 follows with
'As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.’
This interruption to daily living could be rephrased for us: "I will close down your ability to worship in the way you want. You must pay more attention to daily and weekly news bulletins than any time you think to bow down to God. All church gatherings will be prohibited, and you must find ways to keep your faith personally and corporately without ever being allowed to do so openly with others. Any violation will be handed a penalty of £10,000 and death by media."
Just three chapters later, in Daniel 6:7,9 the pressure goes up a final notch due to the jealousy that Daniel's colleagues held :-'The royal ministers, prefects, satraps, advisors and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. So King Darius put the decree in writing.'
Is this not the equivalent of being told that your church people will not be allowed to pray with one another, talk, meet, play, worship, socialise in any way. As a result, our church congregation will reduce with 30-40% falling away, and disintegrate the financial support that enables the church to function. The unmet cost of overheads and staffing will bankrupt the community and tear the church into pieces.
We might not have the personal black-and-white intensity that assailed Daniel, not the graphic and mesmerising reality of facing execution, a smelting furnace or being thrown to lions for breakfast, but the restrictions and potential consequences for church have clear parallels.
Daniel's endurance through word and deed took him through each of these trials and near-death experiences. However, it was nothing to do with his cleverness or skill - it was his proven dependence on God and his seeking of Him.
For some reading today, you are facing all three of these trials and are being squeezed to resign yourself or your church to a spiritual death and the loss of everything you have held dear.
God is with us to remind us that in His topsy-turvy grace-powered independent-of-time way, there is reassurance and only one thing that we need to do. Our success in surviving this time of activity will depend solely on our ability to pursue Him, to pray, listen, and act accordingly.
His promise to us and reassurance to you now holds despite the threat of something you can't see and lack of knowledge of what is coming. No matter how hot the furnace of daily rules and interruptions, no matter the isolation of the congregation and tearing apart of the fabric of the administration and running of your church - God is not silent and already knows how He is providing for us, and is using this to shape both you and the church.
There is a final twist to the story embedded in the last verse of first chapter. Verse 21 says this: "And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus".
King Cyrus ascended his throne as the Israelites returned to Judah - ending their captivity after 70 years. And yet we are in chapter 1, when Daniel is starting his captivity. God has delightfully put at the end of the first chapter a spoiler, a sneak preview. It's like reading the first chapter of a book and reading "and they all lived happily ever after." Daniel is still alive 70 years later to hear of the edict to return. I am so glad that Daniel lived to see that moment. Who are we to complain of just one year?
The exiles will return, your faith will grow stronger, and the only thing He asks us to do is to seek Him - to yearn after His company, to listen, and have the faith and trust to do what He commands us.
We are re-learning what is important - meeting the needs of those He has appointed us to, making disciples and glorifying His name. With or without the particular buildings or old ways of a year ago. Know that He will guide us and show us the way at each crucial point in our captivity.
May the lessons we learn and the renewed closeness we discover, not be lost in the years ahead.
Julian Mander
Executive Director of UCAN
Here for you: If the heat of the furnace is too hot, or you’re quaking at the entrance to the den of lions, please do get in touch with us via this link https://www.churchadministrators.net/here-for-you or by emailing info@churchadministrators.net . It would be our privilege to help support you.