In a recent letter, Bishop Saenz made the following important point:

“To gather in person or not for worship at this time is not a matter of faith vs. faithlessness, or about some conspiracy to suppress Christianity; this is about honoring and doing our part individually and collectively to protect God’s sacred gift of life, especially for the most vulnerable in our communities and our world.”

These sentiments have been on my mind as I try to look forward and plan for our eventual regathering as a church. I do not foresee that regathering will take place anytime soon. In the event the Kansas-wide restrictions are lifted, the Dickinson County restrictions will again be in effect, so we will not have the all-clear to gather for worship. Besides, the Great Plains Conference is asking churches with an average attendance of more than 50 people not to gather for in-person worship at present even if local authorities permit it. It’s also worth noting that the guidelines the conference has issued for in-person worship in the sanctuary preclude any immediate resumption of a “normal” worship service. You can read the guidelines here.

It seems to me that the best worship experience available for quite some time will be at home. At present, keeping our distance is the best way to show our love for one another.

Link: greatplainsumc.org/coronavirus