The return to in-person worship is underway, and one can almost hear David’s joy echoed in Psalm 122, when he proclaimed, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’”
If ever a year was appropriate to be deemed tohubohu it was 2020. It is hard to believe after all that has happened, that it could even possibly be time to turn our attentions toward planning for Palm Sunday. But even in such a state, with so many things looking different, including how we worship together, life continues.
It used to be that the first impression of a church was made at the front door. That first impression is now being made online. These days, people visit almost every organization virtually before having any further interaction. So, the question that needs to be asked is, “What message or image are you presenting to these visitors?”
Our congregation has been worshiping virtually since last year. We had a few good months of outdoor worship, but colder weather meant back to virtual worship. And that meant reimagining one of our favorite Sundays of the new year: Ordination and Installation Sunday.
On Sunday at 10:15 a.m., we gathered for worship in the Sanctuary of LoveJoy United Presbyterian Church. It was one of the first beautiful spring weekends of the year. The church service was entirely ordinary, save that I asked the congregation to refrain from shaking hands during the passing of the peace. It was March 8, 2020, and it was the last time that we would worship together in the sanctuary for more than a year.
During a recent fast-paced two-hour Zoom conversation, the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow led more than 100 participants in a discussion on “The Scattered Church: Pastoring in a Time of Pandemic.”
