Finding the Old Normal

I am a creature of habit (probably to a fault). I have a weekday and weekend routine. My routine has been completely thrown upside down. I don’t mean for this to come off as being selfish, all about me, but come on, we’re not even a week into this virus shutdown and what was normal is no more. The bus is not picking up Camden at the usual stop. I’m not seeing the usual people move up and down the street in the morning as we start our days. Every social interaction outside of my wife and kids is now occurring from the safety of the cloud. I spent over 35 years establishing my habits, my routines, and within days that routine, that normalcy is gone.

As a pastor part of my gig is people. There does not go a day when I don’t see someone from church. These interactions occurred in the church itself but also throughout the community – in coffee shops, at the barbershop, and at Camden’s school. This past Sunday we worshiped online. I have not been the biggest advocate of an online church. I own that, but now, it’s a necessity. When the dust settles from the virus shutdown, we can discuss live-streamed versus prerecorded and edited videos. I don’t have the bandwidth or desire to have that conversation now.

Right now, I am sitting in the sanctuary of Mount Olivet United Methodist Church. I’m sitting on the floor, next to the pulpit as Dr. Steven Shaner records a few videos from the organ. Mount Olivet has a beautiful organ. You cannot walk in the sanctuary and not notice it in the center of the chancel. This morning I was on a Zoom call with a mentor group while Camden did his schoolwork at the table next to me and Nora watched Frozen II. Now, I am sitting on the floor of the sanctuary.

The routine of the church is pretty simple. We begin the week with Sabbath and worship. We take a break from the routines of our lives to rest and give thanks, worshipping God for breath in our lungs, for Grace, and for another day.

Karl Barth wrote, “Christian worship is the most momentous, most urgent, most glorious action that can take place in human life.”

While the routine, the steadiness of our worship has changed in the past week and will continue to be in flux over the coming weeks and months, the act of worship itself does not change. We still bow our heads and pray. We still hold one another, and the world in prayer. We still proclaim the Word of God in song, readings, and poetry. We still use icons and candles to center ourselves, removing the distraction of the chaos swirling around us.

So while I sit here on the floor, I give thanks to God for this moment, for the chance to enjoy a private concert (for free, none the less), and for a chance to take a pause from the chaos around me and worship. Jesus promised that where two are gathered, he is there. The Spirit is moving, I can feel it. Christ is with us.

May the Grace and Peace of Christ be with you, now more than ever.