(this is the second of a six-part reflection on what it means to be the church during this time)

Without the Church gathering for activity in the sanctuary or on our campus, we might question whether anything that we know of value is actually continuing.  Often our activity is linked to location so significantly that removing location can result in us not practicing the action.

Countless research reminds us of these connections.  It’s why we have designated places for eating or studying/working or sleeping.  It’s why we determine times when we are not on our devices; why some conversations work better in the car than in the living room.  This correlation is factual, even when we aren’t conscious of it.

With this global pandemic we keep facing the question- How do we “continue in the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and in the prayers?” 

You might recognize this as the first of the promises we make at our baptism.

This little line is actually taken from scripture- Acts 2:42.  It describes what the ~3000 people did, who, after hearing Peter’s sermon about Jesus’ life and ministry, death and resurrection, were baptized.

Followers of Jesus throughout the past ~2000 years have engaged the teaching of Jesus through time, attention, and reflection; shared in the rituals that reminds us of Jesus’ gift to us; and lifted up our voices in prayers of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication (both petition and intercession). 

Hopefully, you’ve crafted some new spaces in your own home for engaging this dimension of our Baptismal Covenant.  Maybe it includes a…

• Certain time of day
• Certain chair or location
• Certain preparatory rituals (lighting a candle)
• Certain tools (e.g. Bible, Book of Common Prayer, journal, devotional book, spiritual writings)

These efforts are of value now.  They’ll also be valuable in the future.  Even though we’re physically distant, the Living God is not!  The Holy Spirit is as our breath, sustaining us in our lives.  Let us come aside and receive the on-going goodness of the Lord- the goodness which a pandemic can’t even stop.