Maundy Thursday Supper (6:00 p.m.) & Service (7:30 p.m.) on March 28
Pilgrim Congregational Church
United Church of Christ

15 Common St. – PO Box 281, Southborough, MA 01772

Relating in Faith: The Universal Nature of Church Challenges

After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’

Revelation 4:1 (NRSV)

Something Borrowed

Every church thinks it’s so unique.
It is and it isn’t. Each church is a unique collection of people and experiences. But churches also have a lot in common, and we spend a lot of time all trying to solve the same problems at the same time. That’s certainly true during our Covid crisis. Sometimes it’s important to consider the work of others before we re-invent the wheel ourselves.

I don’t often do this, but today I’m sharing a blog post by Joanna Harader of the Peace Mennonite Church in Lawrence, Kansas. She posted on the site Revgalblogpals. You can read the post I’m referring to here. I can’t tell if the article is sharing actual survey results or a fictionalized version of them…either way, you get the sense from reading it that we here at Pilgrim Congregational are not alone.

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Commiseration or Inspiration?

Is that a good feeling? It sure is for me. Maybe you as well? Because the article reminds us that there are as many opinions about matters of faith as there are believers. How a church opens relates to our faith expression. Many people are struggling with how to return to church, and the primary forces in that struggle are NOT the virus and it’s results. The primary forces are the opinions of the congregation.

I have heard ALL of the sentiments in this article, sometimes voiced with considerable conviction and strength. I have been heartened in hearing that still, after all this time, Pilgrim Church matters to you and is integral to your faith journey. I know that many can’t wait for things to get back to normal, and I wish there was a switch I could flip for you. When this all started, someone told me “I’m holding you in prayer, knowing you’re going to be on the front lines of all this.”

Everyone Finds Their “Front Line” Eventually

I thought, “Me? Front lines? Not even remotely.” I got the word early on that I was no longer allowed to visits in hospitals or assisted living centers. I knew that churches were going to be closed for a while, probably longer that any of us were prepare to wait. I felt very insulated from any sort of “front lines.” Front line workers were risking their lives stocking shelves for customers and providing health care and delivering goods and serving for public safety.

I still don’t feel “in danger” 99% of the time, but I am very aware that there are many opinions in ALL our churches about how to navigate all this. I love the humor that Joanna Harader brought to the challenges of communicating and debating. I understand that surveys in churches these days are as divided as surveys in other realms of work and life experience. More than anything, let’s continue to honor one another as we seek solutions.

Talk About It!

Please continue to reach out and communicate with me, and let me and others know the best way to hear you. But while you’re doing that, please continue to seek to hear and understand others who think in ways you do not. Remember the witness of Chapter Four, Verse 1 in Revelation: Even at the end of days, there is going to be something after, something that informs how we will live together and bring the Good News to people who will need it more than ever!

We will find new life beyond Covid-19. Have faith, and thank you for caring for everyone at Pilgrim Congregational Church!

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

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