July 12, 2020 - "You Asked For It" Summer Series - Home Is Where the Heart Is
Sermon “The Church, Post-Covid 19” by Carolyn Smith, July 19, 2020
Scripture: 2 Samuel 7: 1-7, 12-13 and Luke 10: 1-11
Someone wants to know about the Church post-pandemic. Post Covid-19 - that’s our sermon topic for this week, which seems like a great idea. How many are thinking: “Gee- I wonder what will happen? I know, let’s ask Deborah and Carolyn, our wise know-it-alls and get them to tell us.”
Deborah thought I could handle this one.
Number 1, I have 2 things to say: we think about this ALL the time AND the answer is clear as mud.
When we’re trying to plan ahead, it seems like a good idea to be prepared, and we start from what we know, where we’ve been, what we’ve learned in the past. And especially if we have a sense of pride or of accomplishment, we might be confident about this planning stage. However, There is NO roadmap, no memory, no operating system available for how to do 21st Century ANYTHING in a pandemic like this, let alone tradition-based, nostalgic, mainline Church.
Ron’s first reading talks of King David - lounging on his throne in his fine cedar palace, feeling quite accomplished. Things have worked out for him, he’s learned hard lessons and he feels established, steadfast, like he’s got a good handle on things. Out his window he sees the tent in the yard, the one housing THE Ark of the Covenant, in his mind, Almighty GOD, schlepped around in a box, jumbled through exile in the desert, and dropped in the courtyard while the people get established and King David gets settled. David feels a bit awkward about the situation, and muses to his advisor Nathan - “hmmm. Maybe it’s time we spent some effort on a Temple for God…” Nathan waves him off though, and indeed, that night, God reaffirms that, nope, David, you’re good- you’ve got better things to do and since when has Yahweh ever needed a temple? God has been busy creating and enlivening and coaxing enough out in the world. For now, leave it be.
Now, we get David - we know how we have honoured God, made visible the presence of the spirit, gathered as beloved people - We as St. Paul’s do it with our favourite building at 454 Rebecca Street, a sanctuary that is warm and welcoming, even palatial when the Christmas candles are lit, filled with laughter and prayer and singing. Toss in potluck and Coffee hour, and it’s perfect for us! Remember Pie Day on March 8th, we bumped it a week early so more people could come and eat pie and envision Church, -
That was the week… BOOM - Covid-19 had breached our comfortable pews, our sturdy walls, and shut us down.
The idea of re-opening is on everyone’s mind, and we often imagine joyfully hugging friends and a grand musical worshipful time. We have a Re-Opening team and Deborah and I are on webinars all the time, reading updates all the time, about what next and how to respond. The overwhelming reality is that it is overwhelming. To quote our Health Minister Christine Elliot, we are in Stage 3 For the “foreseeable future”, and we won’t be back in the sanctuary in a familiar way. Masks and sanitizer, reserved times and assigned pews, no singing, no bulletins. No mingling.
There is no clear path back yet. No reassurance that it is even coming. So there is bewilderment, and grief and worry. For some churches already struggling with dwindling budgets and long term decline, Right?- remember that!! It’s a double hit that has ended or will end struggling congregations. For More stable congregations, it’s a juggling game to safely reopen for rentals and meet budgets, or how to regather without an outbreak or the swing of regret afterwards. Who are we as a Congregation now enough to matter to people and community, enough to be faithful disciples AND pay the bills. It’s a Reality check. There is no reassurance yet.
So where are we and where is God?
Once upon a time, there was no temple: despite Leaders seeking to be established, God was out amongst the people, like fire leading in the desert, and wind refreshing dry bones, and refreshing with rushing water, meeting people where they are. Stability comes and goes. And then, once upon a dark time, a light was born into the world, but not in the Palace, in fields and towns.
And then there was a temple, but Jesus was so often outside of it, expanding it, reforming it. So our 2nd story from Luke 10, instead of gathering, establishing and resting, Jesus knew of people in struggle of one kind or another, and even one is too many for him. So he said to his followers - the story tells us 70 people - he split them into pairs - definitely groups less than 10! and sent them OUT, like workers in the field, like harvesters to the vineyard, he sends them out without even backpacks or lunch, to go and meet some people. To wish them Peace, to be fed by them, and to listen to what mattered most to them… and if all they found was unpleasant they could dust off their feet - don’t bring viral nastiness back, just wash your hands and keep on bringing peace to more people, drawing the circle wide in small doses that can’t help but nurture relationship. PIcnics, coffee, lunch at the chip truck- This was how to BE the church - not to GO to church, not to house God inside but to make new friends.
For all the webinars and blogs and newsletters we’re tuned into, whether it is the Convergence group, or Parish Collective, or United Church or any other- there is wisdom now to remember the early church just like that- each as the face of love, and our relationships expressing the redesigning of life together. I’m going to list some examples and I really want you to offer some of your own - in the chat or call me! Let’s experiment a lot with small friend groups like Pubs & Pews or the book club, online or safely distanced in the yard. How about the Ella/Ellen/Ellie parents meet and greet or a “knitting online” group or continued Anti-racist learning? Growing this online church AND finding baby steps back inside. We need good ideas for caring for our most elderly so send me those. Be a kind ear to someone at your table or on the phone. And Don’t forget to find out what is happening in our neighbourhood - like with Oakville town hall, or at Kerr Street Ministries - what are they up against? Can you Shop local on Kerr Street and farm markets and on Lakeshore road where construction adds to the injury? How are they all doing? And then we can wonder quietly what does St. Paul’s mean to all these neighbours? Do we matter at all? Right now, we have permission to leave the temple, to make new friends and see where God is alive in these abnormal times. Normal didn’t work well enough anyway and we as a church know that! And we know how the Spirit matters to us, how it enlivens us and inspires hope… That is our calling, our sending for this strange time of shut-down, re-opening and beyond: to be present and to matter in our world offering hope and connection and in that we are never alone.
Thanks be to God.