With talk of attempts to restore activity to a more normal pace, you may be wondering how our church will respond. I would imagine you are wanting to return to corporate worship sooner rather than later. We all have that hope, of course. But not only do we need to think about when that might occur, but we must also consider what it will look like.
First, let me say that these are my own thoughts. I have not consulted with church leadership on this if for no other reason than so much of our energy has been spent on being the best church we can be in a time of social and physical isolation. Sheltering in place was thrust upon us pretty quickly, and we had to adjust in almost a moment’s notice. I think we’ve done pretty well with our attempts at virtual worship, and at staying in touch with one another, and hope we will be as effective in coming back together in a reasonable way.
There will be quite a bit of carryover, I would think, in that the things we have learned and practiced will be a part of the “new normal.” More on that later. In the meantime, when we renew sanctuary worship, and what that will look like, are our main considerations.
I don’t think we will come back together at least until June (and again, please see the second paragraph above). We need some time to see how a gradual return works out, not only for our church but for our city and county as well. It truly is an act of compassion and caring for us to take our time and be careful about physical interaction. And when we do return to a more normal schedule, we will need to keep practicing the CDC guidelines on relating physically to one another. The closer we get to that time, perhaps the clearer the picture will be of what that will look like.
In the meantime, I encourage you to pray for our church, to stay in touch with those you pray for, and continue supporting our ministries financially. I do believe there is a sense in which we will be stronger for all this, but that depends on each and all of us and the response we bring to our ministry together.
God bless, stay healthy, and as always let us know of any concerns you may have.
Randy