This week our congregation worshipped virtually for the first time six months. Even though we knew it was the right decision based on the positivity rate for our county, it was a difficult decision to make. The rolling isolations and quarantines remind us that we aren’t where we hoped to be. We hoped to be through the pandemic. We hoped to be able to count on something being predictable and routine.
We’re not there yet.
This is a stark reminder that we aren’t through with the hard work of keeping each other safe. It reminds us that we aren’t able to plan ahead yet. We are still in the unpredictable and uncertain life that is pandemic living.
As I entered the silent sanctuary this Sunday trying to remember how we set up virtual church, I felt a deep sorrow and a deep gratitude. Last time we worshipped, I wonder what it would be like to worship again in-person. But this time, I knew the joy that would surround us when we worshipped together in-person. I knew it would be worth celebrating.
We might not be there yet, but we are on our way!