May 12
DebDay 59: We'll Know Soon Enough
With the prospect of a (gradual, painfully slow) return to life outside of our homes, we're maybe more aware of the byproducts of isolation.
Deb and I are trying to figure out if at least one of us can go see our newest grandson in Northern California. It's all dependent on who can better weather the 14-day quarantine after the return to Alaska. (Likely Deb.)
Some churches will reestablish on-site worship gatherings this coming weekend. Others are waiting until the end of the month. The vast majority of others do not yet have a start date.
(Someone online challenged me to be a "Patriot Pastor" and have us meet this weekend observing no restrictions, in open defiance of the government. That doesn't sound pretty.)
Some churches are sick and tired of all this, and are willing to put up with the social distancing restraints that will required.
Meanwhile, I sense our own church has adopted and (in some cases) even grown to prefer our isolated, Zoom-ified version of being the church.
I wonder - when it's again game-on again, will anyone want to attend?
While we may have missed being with each other, no one has missed hauling gear and/or coming in early to set up (on those cursed Sundays when your GC is up to bat.) I don't think anyone has been sad not to speed clean their house because GC is showing up in half an hour.
Some (thankfully not all) have grown accustomed to not tithing anymore. And, I'm not sure anyone has missed the frenzy of looking over the children's Sunday School lesson...while the kids are walking in the door.
As a positive, our own GC has actually thrived during this pandemic. We're praying better. We're studying God's Word better. What's not to like?
2 predictions: some of us will experience a strangeness, even a lack of desire to get back to physically meeting together, at least initially. And all of us will come together with at least some level of fear for our own health.
And, we're going to see some pastors, elders, leaders emotionally crash after the near term future is figured out and implemented. (I want to believe I'm exempt, by the way.)
We've learned some things. We've learned that "church" is not limited to Sunday mornings. And, we've each seen in ourselves our respective heart and commitment toward our church; good, bad or otherwise.
To a person, have we missed much in not being together?
I suppose we'll know soon enough.
-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church | Juneau
