Making Home Work
If you're a churchgoer, have you, like us, been staying home because of the pandemic? Well, we've broken out of that pattern, and for the second time, enjoyed Sunday services. It was a balm to the spirit, a chance to be around other people, and an absolutely lovely spring day. We felt refreshed by the experience and ready to take on the week.
I'm out of the COVID controversy business, but I know for a lot of people, questions about when and how to ease back into normal life, including church, remain confusing. It doesn't help that the CDC very suddenly declared that fully vaccinated people, like Todd and me, can go almost anywhere unmasked. I mean, I'm glad to know that, but boy, did it take everyone by surprise. The church we attend kept up social distancing and masking, so the new rules from the CDC weren't an issue.
If I'm out of the COVID controversy arena, why am I bringing this up? Well, in the last few years I've had experiences, like losing my parents, that reinforced that I needed formal religion in my life on a regular schedule. The pandemic, and only being able to "attend" church virtually (which is definitely better than nothing), put a big old wrench in my renewed interest in weekly Sunday worship.
But I didn't waver. I kept praying and studying and waiting, and now here we are, back at church, on a schedule.
I share my life in this column, so that's a big reason why I'm writing about church, but I also hope that readers who've fallen out of the habit of church, either before or during the pandemic, will read this and get back in the pews. There is something about worshiping with like-minded people, gathered in his name, that sets a great tone for the week, and enriches the spirit.
From personal experience, I've found that greater church attendance really does create more faith in my heart. Maybe someone who fell out of the church habit during the pandemic will read this, and get back in the pews.
Or maybe you will take this time to make a change about where you go to church. I strongly suspect that most churches will permanently lose members. Sleeping in on Sunday is very alluring for people who work.
I totally get that. But I hope that they will gain new faces, too. This strange time we live in gives us an opportunity to reevaluate what we want from a church. In my case, I found my taste for classic Protestant services is still fully functional. I know that many people are deeply inspired by services that are like mini rock concerts, but I listen to rock music all week long. I'd rather sing "Amazing Grace" on Sundays. No matter what we sing, though, I'm glad to be back in the pew.
See you next week!
If you'd like to share your own home memories or tips (or recipes), send ideas to tkwolford@aol.com. Or you can write me via traditional mail at The Farmer's Exchange, P.O. Box 45, New Paris, IN 46553.