Get ready for a new normal everywhere..... even church. As we prepare to get the world moving again, much discussion is being had everywhere on how things will be different moving forward. Certainly you have your opinion as does every other individual...... from the protesters who wanted things back to normal yesterday to those who will stay at home even when health officials will declare that it will be relatively safe to resume activities.
I believe that, somewhere in the middle, lies the answer. At this point I believe we will need to be intentionally aware of social distancing for months moving forward (and maybe until we get a vaccine). I reserve the right to change my belief, but that is where I am now, here, on April 20, 2020.
As such, I am putting thought into what a conversation will look like with the Worship Team at Emmanuel. How will/can we be thoughtful about moving forward when we get the go-ahead to have corporate worship again in one room?
For some there will be this tension between staying distant and giving hugs (I am not one of those). For others, there will be a sense of quiet relief that they do not have to feel obligated to shake hands. Either way, we have had to rethink what it means to 'love one another' in the life of the church which has included 'stay away from me'. It's counter-intuitive and it will be difficult to adjust.
At Emmanuel we have many options to adjust for worship. How will seating change? How do we collect offering? Take Holy Communion? Do we change how the coffee bar works? Do we even have a coffee bar? Is this the time to really encourage on-line bulletins? Do we have a designated cleaner to clean doors and door handles throughout the morning? Certainly the greeting time will need to go away (or we could stand up and wave our hands as we each spin in a circle).
Silliness aside, we will need to be attentive to a changed world. The normal, at least for the time being, is going to be a new one.
The only thing that will not change is the presence of God's Holy Spirit. That will never change. No matter how we gather, God is everlasting and ever-loving and ever-present and I am ever thankful. Hope to see you soon.... especially from a distance.
God is Good,
Pastor Joe
No comments:
Post a Comment