Is God Okay With Our New Normal?

Hello Church,

The lobby has been emptied.  The chairs have been spaced out.  Books have been removed and sanitizer has been bought.  We are ready.  Are you?

Some are not and that is okay.  Other pastors I speak too are also nervous about restarting in-person worship.... not because we are afraid that no one will show up, but because we are afraid that too many might show up.  It's an odd kind of anxiety to have.  Emmanuel has taken good measures to help the restart go well, but I am a little anxious nonetheless.  Guidelines have been adopted and we hope that people will respect them (click here for the new safety guidelines).

What has evolved during this time is a multi-faceted opportunity to be a worshiper at Emmanuel.  While we are limiting the seating to 50 in the sanctuary, we also have a max of 100 devices for the live-stream via Zoom.

(Click here to sign-up for the in-person worship)

(Click here to join us via Zoom livestream starting at 10:10 AM on June 7th)

I have a feeling that a multi-faceted opportunity to worship is here to stay, if it wasn't already.  True, for many bigger churches, they were already live-streaming, podcasting and you-tubing.  However, now this approach has been taken up by many, many small churches who are looking to stay connected.  And now that the technology has had to be learned and paid for, many of the reasons for not doing it have gone away.

So if you are not okay with being in a gathering yet, we understand.  We are expanding what it means to be the church on Sunday mornings.  The question is, 'Is God okay with this?'.

I believe God is okay with any mode in which His love is pronounced.  And He is okay with any kind of gathering where people of Faith join in prayer and worship.  I believe God is sensitive to the needs of those who want to stay safe or are too nervous to take risks that could affect their health.  I also believe God is glad to see people worship despite the risks.  I believe God is happy to see the Church use technology for good and not evil.  I believe God is still walking with us, perhaps especially in these days.

So let's worship Him on June 7th.  And let us say hello one another with love, be it in-person or through a screen.  Let us continue to hear the Good News and be glad.  With all that has been going on in our country these past months.... with the protests and the joblessness and sickness and all the brokenness....  we need a place and a sense of comfort and hope.  You are invited to join us.

God is Good,
Pastor Joe