Thursdays Are The New Sundays

Thursday mornings I hit the floor running and it is exciting!  This is the only day of the week that I am “allowed” to work in the church building; the day we record the worship service.

As expected I pack a lot into these days.  Upon my arrival, I check my emails and voice mail before heading into the sanctuary.  It may not appear as though much attention has gone into the decorations but I have been doing my best.  Banners and paraments are changed as are the flowers and this week I am contemplating the removal of a couple of the tall Lenten crosses.

There is always an 11:00 a.m. meeting with Brenda, the Music Director, she sits on one end of the long front pew and I sit two rows over on the other end.  We rather loudly plan the next few Sundays.  Then recording starts; Dave & Maria arrive while Brenda warms up and I light the candles and ensure the “Children’s Conversation” items are in place, with the soundcheck completed we begin.

Following “worship” I prepare the weekly newsletters to be dropped off at the local retirement home. And, this week I also am to meet a family and the local funeral home staff in the cemetery for a graveside service.

Social distancing while leading funerals and accompanying grieving parishioners is the most unwelcomed change in this new way of “doing” church.  I long to shake their hands or, even better, provide a hug; neither are permitted.

This isn’t at all how I was trained to be a Minister; I have never done church like this before.  However, gone are the days of saying, “We’ve never done it like that before.”  Anyone caught saying these words are viewed as lacking vision and having a more self-centered view of ministry.  No one wants to do church this way but if we want the church to flourish and continue to be an agent of Christ’s love then we must be prepared to “step outside the boat” of familiarity and trust in the leading of the Spirit.

Funny thing is, whenever I am tempted to buck the Holy Spirit and say, “No!  I don’t want to do church like this!”  A deep familiar voice from my childhood invades my thoughts singing a refrain that never fails to bring a smile and me, yet again, bends to the Spirit’s nudging (more like a pushy shove).  That voice is Tennesse Ernie Ford as he sings, “Children, Go Where I Send Thee.” (I have provided the link below).  This is proof the Holy Spirit has a great sense of humor while also leading me in the direction I am to go.

When I was Ordained I said, with at least 500 folks as witnesses, that I was willing to go wherever the Lord would send me and have done my best to do so ever since.  Never did I expect it would send me to YouTube, ZOOM, and Facebook!

Thankfully the Holy Spirit is determined to keep the church alive and well; the only question is, are we willing to follow?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI_6t2yq2eE

Blessings,

Rev. Heather McCarrel