By Amanda Hayes
For many of us, going to church every Sunday is a way of life. Assembling together with our brothers and sisters in Christ uplifts our spirits and cheers our hearts. We hug, shake hands, and even many times lay our hands on one another as we cry and pray.
We read verses about “assembling” like the one in Acts 15:25, “It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord,” (KJV) and we agree heartily, ‘yes, it seems good to us to assemble in one accord!’ In fact, assembling together may even be therapy for the weary soul that yearns for another human’s understanding of their deepest needs and longings. Even further, corporate worship allows us to lift our hands, hearts, and voices together as one, uniting in our love and admiration of our Creator.
So what happens when assembling together becomes not only discouraged, but downright forbidden and dangerous due to a virus pandemic? Although it may sound like the storyline from a movie we may have watched on TV, it has become our reality. Yet, we improvise. We analyze. We create. We adapt. We adjust. We persevere.
For many churches, streaming their services online whether live or pre-recorded, was something they were already doing, transitioning to solely online services was not a major obstacle. The only difference is that now the musicians play to an empty sanctuary, and the Pastor speaks to empty pews. Not wanting their Pastor to become disenchanted by preaching to an empty room, some congregants have printed large family photos and posted them in the pews to remind their Pastor that they are with them in spirit and watching from home!
For others, prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, stepping into the sanctuary in person would have been the only way to experience the worship service, yet they have now found a way to share music and the Pastor’s messages online via Social Media; or they now have outdoor services on the church lawn or drive-in type services where worshippers remain in their vehicles with their windows rolled down as they listed to their praise team and Pastor’s message.
For one member of a church that began to stream online services only after the virus outbreak, she has been able to view her home church services for the first time in a long time. Why? Upon her marriage two years ago, she moved two hours from her home church.
Darian Ireland comments, “Live viewing of sermons has been a great outcome of the virus. I really hope in the future live viewings will continue because it will allow so many people to hear the Word when they might not have the opportunity. Those who may have moved away, those that may be at home sick, those that may be working, or anyone who wants to hear a sermon outside the normal service times will have the opportunity with live streaming and published videos. A pastor I grew up around and loved dearly moved to Texas when I was younger. Last week, I was able to watch him online and that warmed my heart!”
Lastly for still others, they have not found a way, or have chosen not to have online or outdoor services. Congregations of these churches have been forced to abstain from any type of worship services at all or participate in worship services through differing methods of other churches.
One congregant of a smaller church that has not been able to hold any type of services stated, “Our contact with one another has been (phone) calls, grocery deliveries, and text messages! We’re all going to rejoice when we can hold services again!”
The shelter-in-place orders and social distancing guidelines for church services and meetings have placed an especially heavy burden on Pastors. Visitation at hospitals, nursing homes, and private homes has been prohibited; communication with congregants has been complicated; one-on-one pastoral counseling is discouraged; and in-person outreach efforts have been indefinitely discontinued. Even tithing for church members has become taxing, literally.
According to Pastor Philip Corbean of Carver Baptist Church, Douglas, “Transitioning online is a bittersweet experience. It is sweet because of the common grace of God that we can still worship through the means of live streaming. We are thankful to God for modern technology. But the experience is mostly bitter because it is not true church. I long for the day that we can safely and wisely return to having true church.”
Another South Georgia Pastor, Jeremy Cox, of DeBerry Baptist Church, Ambrose, shares, “We have been teaching and learning a lot about discipleship in the last few years and now is a perfect time for the church to put discipleship to practice. We have held online and drive in services, which have been a blessing. I believe the greatest challenge has been staying away from each other.”
I have heard many people say, “I’ll be so glad when everything returns to normal!” I concur. The coronavirus has definitely shaken up our lives in ways that we never saw coming. However, I think that some very positive things have manifested from this outbreak. We have a greater appreciation for our “in-person” church meetings. Many churches have found new ways to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ on social media. And lastly, we can now have church in our pajamas.