As one might expect, the main topic around the congregation these days has to do with, “When are we going to worship at the church again?” Here is what is under consideration.
We know that the first real opportunity for that will be June 21. Here is why. This coming Sunday, June 7, already has some activities, one of which is the discussion and vote around the pastoral call, that has been scheduled through Zoom. Then, between the 7th and the 21st, we’re hoping to use this as an opportunity to deep clean the sanctuary and kitchen so that when we return everything will be as safe as possible. That takes us to June 21.
Now we get to the meat of the matter. How are we going to do worship during this time when the coronavirus is still a threat? If we use the sanctuary we need to keep in mind some fairly restrictive behavior meant to minimize the threat we pose to each other. That will mean no singing, no chanting, no after-the-service fellowship and finally, probably some slight change in my behavior during the sermon. That means I would likely remain behind the altar to minimize any unintended ‘transmissions”. The alternative worship space might be outside. If we are outside, so goes the current wisdom, we might be safer. At the same time, because of additional distancing, we might be able to sing a hymn or two using a keyboard instrument. That’s the current state of the conversation. All of this will be discussed by the worship team.
We know that neither of these options alone might be considered safe enough by everybody. So we are also trying to figure out the best way to continue to use Zoom or something else that allows people to stay home and still participate in the worship in some manner.
It would be lovely to believe that all of this will be past us by the end of June. Unfortunately, I believe that would be living in a fantasy. Please understand that all of these considerations are in conversations out of concern for your welfare.
Finally, anybody that has access to the news must be aware of the turmoil currently taking place throughout our country. There are a lot of voices out there telling us the solution lies in one direction or the other. There are a lot of other voices out there too, often muted, that often go unrecognized, unappreciated, even unknown. These are the voices and actions of people who see and understand the pain of others and reach out in love and com-passion to those who live in such terrible pain and fear. We are called to be such people, knowing that we may not be able to fix everything, maybe not even anything. But when we respond with love and compassion we will not be alone; Christ is with us.
The peace that passes all understanding be with you,
Stan