Pastor's Pen: Thinking Beyond the Pandemic

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,

plans for welfare and not for evil,

to give you a future and a hope.” -- Jeremiah 29:11

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since a brand-new virus originating in Wuhan, China made an appearance in the United States. Since then, shutdowns, quarantines, distancing, and mask-wearing have become commonplace. Now, we find ourselves lining up for vaccines and hoping for herd immunity. The question on many of our minds is, “When does this all end?”

Notice that I didn’t say, “When do we all get back to normal?” Frankly, I don’t think we will go back exactly to the way things were before. Like shaking a snow globe and watching the particles finally settle, the changes swirling around us will finally calm down. However, we would be naïve to assume that things will just revert to some perceived “normal.”

However, I don’t think that it is too soon to think about what lies ahead for us. Last week, I heard some statistics that bothered me. According to some sources, 40% of churchgoers have stopped attending during the pandemic. These people are neither attending worship in person nor online. Even more shocking, in interviews with those people who have stopped attending, 50% of them have indicated that they are probably not coming back.

For those of us who believe that the community of faith is important, these statistics should break our hearts. Whether people are frustrated with the church right now, isolated during this pandemic, or simply gotten out of the habit of attending worship, we have a responsibility to show the love of Christ to them. How do we reach those who are slipping away?

I believe that we have something precious here at First Presbyterian Church. During this time of challenge, we have learned a few things about ourselves. We are a caring community that desires to live our faith. We are creative and willing to take risks. Most importantly, we have the gospel of Jesus Christ. More than ever, our families and neighbors are longing for good news. We need to be the ones to show it to them.

This time of viruses, masks, and distancing will finally cease. We will have an opportunity to rebuild. We may even discover a more faithful and loving way to be church for the Twenty-First Century. Rooted in God’s grace, let’s grow together in Jesus Christ, reaching out in his love.