This was my view on Sunday morning:
Certainly, worship was not the same without you. It was so very strange to preach to empty pews, eyes on a tiny lens, only imagining your familiar faces on the other side. And also, what a gift it was to worship at all; to be connected to you even when we were not able to meet together in person. This was especially true as I marveled at the many people who were able to watch or listen in who have been otherwise prevented from joining us for worship because of health, distance, or other circumstances.
As I think about our current reality, I am reminded of God's words in Isaiah 43:19 - "I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."
No doubt about it - we are in the wilderness. Uncharted territory, uneven terrain, uncomfortable surroundings. Here we are, lost and wandering, attempting to find our way through each day six feet apart, separated from one another and separated from our familiar routines of work and school and activities and worship.
What paths through the wilderness have you found this past week? What for you has been a refreshing river flowing through this desert?
For me, it was enjoying the sunshine on Sunday afternoon and beginning to prepare our garden beds. Pulling weeds brings a sense of accomplishment, for sure, but I also appreciated the potential of loose soil, the promise of life and growth. Similarly, the opportunities to check in with colleagues and friends and with you all over the past week has been a cool and refreshing stream in the midst of a parched desert. And finally, I am grateful for the comforting pattern of our liturgy. Though our worship is abbreviated, the pattern of prayer and Scripture and music and blessing is a well-worn path in this uncertain wilderness.
Know that I think of you often and am praying for you. Worship this Sunday will be like this past Sunday. As far as the weeks ahead, plan to get an update from the Executive Committee next week. Though we are staying physically distant these days, I am available by phone, text, and email. I'd love to hear about the rivers in the desert that are sustaining you this week!
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