These strange times give an opportunity to reflect on what’s important, why we do what we do, and to figure new ways of being and doing when old ways are not possible.
And so I’ve been musing on what it is about church that has it so significant in my life. For me it’s never been about a building. I don’t believe God is any more in one place or one human than another. And so I get to worship and pray and give thanks 24/7, just as easily when I’m lying in bed or picking up one of the amazing leaves currently being shed. There’s lots of material online and in my house to inspire me to think deeper about God and my response, so I don’t feel I have to go somewhere for input, tho it’s a helpful discipline to have a regular place/time to engage or otherwise like my yoga, I could just not get round to it.
There’s something good about doing all that in community tho and in particular one reason I go to a service is to sing collectively. That’s not possible in a Methodist church building at the moment, but it’s still enjoyable to put harmonies to hymns in online worship even tho I can’t hear the voices of everyone else attending.
The key aspect is that it’s in community. An embodied Body of Christ, that usually literally stands alongside, sings together, hugs. Whilst we’re not for now able to mingle with one another before, during or after a service, I’m not getting chance to listen to how others are, show my love, and indeed share how things are for me and be shown love. I know community is not just about my needs tho, so I have offered to help out if help is needed rather than just say it’s not for me. However I still need to figure ways of staying in community with folk from church whilst the mingling is not allowed. I’ve had contact with those in my contacts... but there’s plenty of folk I don’t have a number for.
I’ve managed to find new ways of staying connected with my other communities. Book group, choir, the volunteers I supervise, a white people challenging our racism group- we moved online. And yet I’ve not fully found a way to be church when I’m not going to the building. I think whenever we’re joining God in Gods work we’re being church so in some ways things haven’t changed tho it feels a bit more solitary right now. I’ve found new ways to show love and support (that rely heavily on Royal Mail - hurrah for post!). I’m not keen on the gendered nature of the word fellowship, but I’m curious to notice the places I’ve felt this given that I’ve not been in a local church group for many months now. Being out with others in my town in a community litter pick was the nearest - united in a common act of service.
So what does this mean? I’m passionate in my belief that the church is not something external to me - we are the church - so if I feel something should be different then I need to be that difference. And I constantly have to remind myself that we’re all doing the best we can, that adapting to a global pandemic takes energy and we can’t do everything. Maybe it’s enough to notice for now. Tho I am aware I can’t be the only one wrestling with how to stay connected in these tricky circumstances.
There’s something good about doing all that in community tho and in particular one reason I go to a service is to sing collectively. That’s not possible in a Methodist church building at the moment, but it’s still enjoyable to put harmonies to hymns in online worship even tho I can’t hear the voices of everyone else attending.
The key aspect is that it’s in community. An embodied Body of Christ, that usually literally stands alongside, sings together, hugs. Whilst we’re not for now able to mingle with one another before, during or after a service, I’m not getting chance to listen to how others are, show my love, and indeed share how things are for me and be shown love. I know community is not just about my needs tho, so I have offered to help out if help is needed rather than just say it’s not for me. However I still need to figure ways of staying in community with folk from church whilst the mingling is not allowed. I’ve had contact with those in my contacts... but there’s plenty of folk I don’t have a number for.
I’ve managed to find new ways of staying connected with my other communities. Book group, choir, the volunteers I supervise, a white people challenging our racism group- we moved online. And yet I’ve not fully found a way to be church when I’m not going to the building. I think whenever we’re joining God in Gods work we’re being church so in some ways things haven’t changed tho it feels a bit more solitary right now. I’ve found new ways to show love and support (that rely heavily on Royal Mail - hurrah for post!). I’m not keen on the gendered nature of the word fellowship, but I’m curious to notice the places I’ve felt this given that I’ve not been in a local church group for many months now. Being out with others in my town in a community litter pick was the nearest - united in a common act of service.
So what does this mean? I’m passionate in my belief that the church is not something external to me - we are the church - so if I feel something should be different then I need to be that difference. And I constantly have to remind myself that we’re all doing the best we can, that adapting to a global pandemic takes energy and we can’t do everything. Maybe it’s enough to notice for now. Tho I am aware I can’t be the only one wrestling with how to stay connected in these tricky circumstances.
This pondering has prompted me to take action, so hopefully that's a good thing!
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