Missing: The Sights and Sounds of Community
"Encourage one another and build each other up."
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)
I began thinking about the importance of community back in March when we were first ordered to shelter at home due to the Covid 19 pandemic. I missed people, and not just any people, but "my people." I missed seeing my children and grandchildren up close and personal. I missed seeing our church friends and Vestavia coaching community, the people we've done life on life with for decades. I missed the opportunity to go into someone else's home or have them for a meal in ours. I missed the freedom to shop at Monogram's Plus (my favorite 'go to' gift store for wedding, birthday, and baby gifts) or eat at Taziki's (who can say "No" to their signature pasta??). In short, I missed community, that reciprocal rootedness and longing to connect, that we are, by God's Divine design, wired to experience.
Once the Covid 19 restrictions were eased and we were finally allowed to return to church with limitations, I was so excited. Oh there were still some restrictions like social distancing, but after the lockdown, the social distancing and even wearing a mask, just didn't seem like a big deal. After two months of video streaming and no gathering with over 10 people, I was so ready to get back to a regular church service with "my people." But I quickly found myself grieving instead of rejoicing. Yes, it was a relief to be back in our church building, but the building itself is not the Church.
While it was wonderful to be back with "my people," all of my people weren't there. Our larger church services were split into three smaller services and we were assigned a specific time to attend. By necessity, our services were shortened to accommodate the extra service. All attendees were strongly encouraged to wear masks so it was difficult to determine who was who. There was a greeter welcoming me to our service, but there were no hugs or handshakes. I was surprised by how quiet the sanctuary was. There was no choir in the loft, no ushers handing out bulletins and saying, "Good morning!" There were no children laughing, no babies crying. Children who were old enough to attend Children's worship were segregated in the Children's worship center, separated from parents and grandparents. There was no nursery for the babies, no preschool children or Special Ones. No movement throughout the church halls, only designated entrances for quick in and out access. There were no Sunday School or "community classes," only the main worship service. And, yes, it was a better option after two months of online streaming, but I could only describe it as "half church." Something vital was missing: the sights and sounds of community.
Author Jen Wilkin once said that a parent's most important job is to "set the expectations." I realized that my expectation for re-opening gathered worship services was church as it was pre-pandemic: the gathered Body; the community learning; the shared lives with all of its joys and sorrows; the encouraging word for a harried young mom who has miraculously managed to get all of her children to an 8AM worship service; the laughter and fellowship that occur as members gather from week to week And while I was grateful to have most of the government imposed restrictions removed, many of the safe/best pandemic practices required a much different way of practicing community. Social distancing, wearing masks, and limiting touch and personal interaction are essential Covid 19 best practices, but they are certainly not Body of Christ long term "cultivating community" best practices. And yes, we can follow our leaders' counsel to love and serve one another by social distancing, practicing good hand hygiene, and wearing masks, but many of the other New Testament mutuality commands like "encourage one another" and "build up one another" require up close and personal touches.
So for now, we can be grateful for what we do have: freedom to gather once again for worship with social distancing. We can also be grateful for the technology and the option to worship online via video streaming. But we can all long and pray for a return to gathered worship free from restrictions and with freedom to fellowship and cultivate community, all those "when you come together" aspects of Body Life that Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 11. In fact, Paul's 'when you come together" admonitions are so important that he repeats the phrase five times. Paul certainly understood the importance of coming together in worship, fellowship, and community.
Some grief, both individually and corporately, is certainly appropriate for this season of suffering. But we do not 'grieve as the rest of mankind who have no hope." (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
Amen and Amen,
Donna