Who is the ultimate creator? God is! And because He is the Creator, He excels in creativity! So, here’s a question: If we are made in His image and given responsibility for His creation (Genesis 1:26), doesn’t that require us to be creative also? After all, we were all born to be creative. That’s why children would rather play with the box than the toy that came in it. Think about the little ones who ride their tricycles and really believe they are moving at warp speeds. How many times have kids jumped off a bench or a bed thinking they were flying? Even as adults, we dream dreams and have visions of doing things that are seemingly beyond our capacity (Joel 2:28).
So how is it that we so often deny that drive toward creativity and imagination? Have we become so comfortable in our beautiful sanctuaries and titles of Christian service that we have forgotten how to serve and who we are to serve? Have we, in building ministries, auxiliaries, and fellowship teams, become so complacent that we are uncomfortable venturing too far beyond the sanctuary doors?
What can call us back to the creativity and imagination we had in childhood? While there is little good that comes to mind when we think about the coronavirus, I believe that because our local church doors are closed, we have been given the gift of creativity to proclaim the message of God’s Church. He has given us the opportunity to be creative so that we can really appreciate Him for doing exceeding, abundantly above all we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). Through this virus we have been given the opportunity to creatively bring the Gospel to the world and live the Gospel in our lives in new and expanded ways.
In the first century, the Church was creative. They met in houses (1 Corinthians 16:19) and alongside riverbanks (Acts 16:13). They spontaneously shared their testimonies, their meals, and their wealth (Acts 4:32-35). They held prayer meetings over injustices, inequities and persecutions that critically touched their communities and their lives. They prayed open prison doors (Acts 12:12-17) and nurtured those who were newly hearing the Gospel message (Acts 18:24-26). They were grateful for the men who ministered and recognized the contributions of the women who did the same (Romans 16 and Philippians 4:3). From the moment the Holy Spirit fell on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) through the 1906 Azusa Street Revival that brought spiritual renewal to the modern world, the Church was creative and ready to minister as the times required. This is our time. It’s our time to do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). He has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). And we won’t fail because He is able to keep us from falling and present us before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy (Jude 24). So, let’s launch out into
