But it continued to be a struggle for them to do more than come to worship service on a regular basis. That was before the pandemic. Now, though, their practice has become, dare I say, normal? After being compelled to stay home for weeks or months, many have adapted to attending church from afar. For such people, service is almost out of the question. At least for right now. Getting to know people is a valued part of church attendance and membership. But when does that “right now” become a memory of the past? How do we know who is? Most of us fall somewhere in between Linda and my other friends. But into our lives, wherever we happen to be, the Word of God comes, speaking still. “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4:11-13) “And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” (Heb. 10:25) It is in this Word that we find hope and purpose. Let’s say that Lorraine and I actually did know everyone at church. It’s not true, but let’s pretend that it is. Just for a moment. Some would leave the church or move away. Some would die. New people would be born or come into the church. Frankly, we couldn’t keep up with it all.
For now, though, there’s us. There are people to tell about Jesus coming across our paths. There is a new class of Kindergarteners to tell how God—Father, Son, Spirit— spoke and everything that was made was made. I have another old friend to join us this year, and he plays the banjo. We’ve got two new collegians and a faithful friend who walked through the pandemic with us last year. If you happen to drive by College Church and you see a lady tending the flowerbeds, thank God for her service and how God has used her in big and mostly little ways over the years. God’s Spirit has places for each one of us. Sometimes we don’t know where that might be, but it is his good delight to surprise us sometimes by using us. There’s a lot of talk about wearing masks these days. We’re all sick of it. But the masks no one sees are the most problematic. So by God’s grace, let’s take those off and risk being exposed to something new at College Church. Here’s to new faces. Take the risk. Even when it’s hard to step out of our homes, look beyond our families to the family of God. Welcome faces that don’t look like ours—they’re younger or older, different colors, whatever. And our faces, one by one, over time and with perseverance, becoming something different, something new, something that looks less like us and more like Jesus. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18
And then, over time, all of us who are involved today, will not be so involved for whatever reason. There are as many reasons as there are people. And over time, most people will forget the things we’ve said or done. For most of us, we ourselves will be forgotten by most. Others will come and fill our shoes. They’ll walk in different directions than we’re walking. How might Scripture come to life, how might it come alive in us and through as at this strange time? Thanks to God’s Word and the Holy Spirit, there are as many answers to that question as there are people. And even more to come.
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