Milestones

In case you weren't counting, it's been almost five months since we gathered for worship together in Trinity's sanctuary. Five months since we were able to celebrate milestones or mourn together. Five months since we shared in the Communion meal. This is no small thing.

Image from Sundays and Seasons / Augsburg Fortress

As the weeks and months drag on, I recognize that reframing is in order. We are no longer in crisis mode; we've realized that we won't simply hunker down for a few weeks before getting back to normal. This is our reality for the foreseeable future - what will we do with it?

Grief is one response, certainly. It's disappointing - heartbreaking, even - to have our hopes and expectations dashed. Graduations, weddings, baby showers, the first day of school, funerals, vacations, family reunions - we've all experienced cancellations and transformations of special milestones and events over the past five months. 

Another response is creativity. We have the opportunity to shape new rituals and practices that will help us mark milestones in this strange time. What might we keep from our beloved, time-tested traditions, and what needs to be adjusted so that our recognition of milestones is safe, thoughtful, and intentional? What is temporary, and what might serve us best as a permanent change?

To answer those questions, we must first reflect on these: What does this ritual or practice mean for us as people of faith? What are the core values of this practice, and how might these values be carried over even if the "delivery method" is different? What is lost in these changes, and what is gained? Is this change about me and my wishes or needs, or does it benefit the whole community? 

More specifically, what might baptism look like during this time? Is there a way to safely share in communion that also holds on to the inherently communal nature of the meal? What are some ways we might celebrate milestones now while also planning to mark them again once we're able to gather in person again? 

I hope to unpack these more in this space over the coming weeks, and welcome your questions and conversations as I do so! 

Bonus resources: 

• The ELCA's core beliefs and best practices around the sacraments are described in The Use of the Means of Grace.
• Region 8 bishops and seminary faculty from United Lutheran Seminary shared in conversation about how we might begin to approach Communion during this time.