Ten weeks ago, the church made what I thought at the time was a very difficult decision. That decision was to not have worship (or any gatherings) in person, in our building, for the following week. I thought that was a hard decision, but as it turns out that choice was much easier than the decision of when and how to re-gather for worship and activities.
I want to share with you two things.
The first is what was discussed by the re-gathering team last week. The second are some of my thoughts, not decision made by anyone at May Memorial Church.
First, from the re-gathering team. At last week’s meeting the team decided that at least during phase one of Virginia’s re-opening plan we will continue doing what we have been doing. We will worship online and have Sunday School by Zoom. The team will meet again next Tuesday and see where things stand. The team is working to make preparations for when we re-gather in our building. They are purchasing and installing hand sanitizing stations, they are also purchasing masks that can be distributed to worshipers.
The team is taking caution in our regathering plan. May Memorial is an older congregation, and for many of us a COVID 19 diagnosis would be very serious.
Second, a few of my thoughts. The team looked at guidelines from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and I am also aware of how other churches in our community (and beyond) are regathering. One of the guidelines coming from Virginia is for churches to have “adults only” worship because young children cannot wear masks, and younger children are not conscious and careful of the spread of germs. Other churches are having multiple services and reservations are required for attendance to those. These steps are seen as safe ways to phase back in to in-person gatherings for churches.
I struggle with both of these. It is not my decision, but these ways of adjusting do such harm to our practice of worship that I wonder if we have been seduced into being something other than the Church. What if a person shows up and they do not have a reservation? What if a family shows up with a four-year-old? Will they not be admitted to worship that day? Will we turn people away? A senior adult who didn’t make their reservation, or a family with a “germy” four-year-old who may accidentally go in for a hug? When we start turning people away for any reason, I fear we have ceased to be the Church.
It is a hard question and I don’t know the answer. We are a community-minded church who welcomes all, regardless of age. We are not a church that turns people away. And these are things that are important to our identity.
God will guide us, each step of the way. As I said in yesterday’s sermon, sometimes we are only called to take the next right step, the next step where God shows us the way. We can’t see all the way to the “other side,” but all we must do is take the next right step, and little by little, God will show us the way. Of this I’m sure.