From the Pulpit: Pulling together at a distance

I don’t know about you but I never thought I would be a “movie star.” What I mean by that is live streaming our worship service. With all of the COVID-19 concerns and not being able to have in-person church, many of our churches have gone to broadcasting our church service in one way or another.

Standing the right way in front of a camera was not part of my seminary training. Neither was figuring out what color clothes I need to wear so it will show up best on the broadcast.  

I’ve been preaching now for twenty years, but these are very different times. I have never before preached to an empty church. It just does not feel the same to preach to a camera. 

Pastoral care is also very changed. When there is a death in a family, the first thing a pastor wants to do is go and be with the family. To hold their hand, listen, and pray with them. And yet, in the time of the pandemic, we can only call on the phone. We can still pray, but it is not the same. 

It is a blessing to be in Perkins County. We have always taken care of each other. We have always checked on our neighbors. We don’t need someone from the government telling us how to do that. We, in the Midwest, invented caring for other people.

But this “six feet of social distancing” is making it a bit difficult. We greet people with a handshake or hug and can’t right now. We are used to going to school events and can’t right now. 

We are slowly reopening our restaurant dining rooms, but there are many rules they must follow in order to serve us. We have an amazing grocery story that has supported our community as we have all struggled to decide what we dare do. 

The people of Perkins County will make it through this – working together. We will not be the same. And I think that is as it should be. This is one of those before and after kind of events. We will think back and remember life before and some day in the future we will come to a new, and hopefully, better normal. 

It is my belief that we can keep the good parts of pulling together even at a distance and come through the other side of this stronger, more mindful of what really matters, and more ready to show God’s love and grace to the people around us. May it be so.