by Mary Frances

One of my clients called the other day.  The leadership of the congregation was trying to sort out how to reopen safely.  Did people really need to register to come to church?  How would they make sure they were staying 6ft apart?  What would they do about people who didn’t want to wear a mask? How would they distribute communion?  Every time they settled on an answer for one thing, another would pop up.  They navigated their way through Sunday worship and then turned their attention to the upcoming list of long put off funerals.  How many people could attend a funeral?  Would it be live streamed?  What to do about the traditional funeral lunch?

These are just a few examples of the many challenges facing congregations today.  And, of course, congregations are made up of individuals who have a wide range of opinions, information, and experiences.  My mother-in-law called a few days ago.  She has some underlying health conditions and her doctor had advised her to wait on getting the vaccine.  But she, like many of us, is anxious to get out and see friends, and to resume something like the life she used to have.  So, she had just decided to get the J&J vaccine because there have been fewer side effects when the news came out that it was being paused because of a rare but dangerous side effect. She was devastated.  On the other side of the spectrum, a business owner I know posted on Facebook that she doesn’t even own a mask; that we all need to overcome our fears and limitations in order to overcome this situation.  Really?