Worth the risk?

It's hard to believe the amount of snow we have gotten this winter. Here I sit, watching another southern blizzard raging outside, knowing that when this one is gone, there is an even more severe storm on the way in just a few days. It has been kind of a popular joke that half an inch of snow will bring the south to a standstill causing schools, businesses, and churches to close and prompting a run on the grocery essentials like bread and milk. The number of snow days has begun to climb this winter. I can't imagine that many people mind the occasional snow day to cozy up at home and relax. For that matter, I wouldn't mind that right now.

However, here is the point I am trying to make. Thinking about church life, when is it worth the risk to not cancel our church meetings and worship services? Of course, we don't want any of our church family exposing themselves to unnecessary danger. But when is the danger a risk worth taking? When can we say, "What we are doing as the Body of Christ is worth risking our physical safety."? Or maybe we should evaluate what we do by asking, "Is this ______ worth risking our safety, our health, our comfort?".

Is worshiping the One, True, Living God of the Bible worth dying for? Is teaching the powerful truth of God's Word to hungry souls longing to grow and follow Jesus worth physical injury? Is sharing the Good News of Jesus' salvation with the lost and desperate world worth pain and illness? I hope you can join me in crying out, "Yes!"

Now, I know that it is one thing to talk this way and another to feel the weight of the responsibility for the safety of a church family. But this I do know: We are fooling ourselves when we think that our safety is really up to us anyway. Jesus calls us to take up our cross and die to ourselves. Let's make sure that what we are doing is worth dying for, and then we won't have to worry about whether to cancel services or not.

I am sure that I am in need of other insights on this issue, so I welcome your ideas and comments.

Still, here is my prayer:

"Lord, kill me! Help me die to myself, to my safety, to my comfort, to my health. Instead, make me alive to you, to your desires, to your purposes, and to your glory! Then, move me to follow you with passion and intensity, holding nothing back."


He must increase, I must decrease!

JasonPS