Written shortly after 23 August 2020
Living in a pandemic is strange because everything changes constantly. A month ago, I did not think I would be attending in-person church anytime soon. Living with someone high-risk meant I was brainwashed to believe that public gatherings of more than 10 people was suicide. But things happen so fast, and perspectives can also change.
A month ago, Nona Church held a church-wide Zoom meeting detailing the plans for reopening in the middle of the pandemic. Pastor Collin and the team laid out tentative plans to start church in-person in September, as long as Covid numbers continue to decline (this sounds pretty horrible, but Florida is doing better, with cases stabilizing around 3,000/day. Much better than 10k+ a few weeks ago). The reopening plan involved two “dry run” services at the end of August to test out logistics and safety precautions in the new space. Church members could attend these services by invitation only, with maximum capacity at 50 people. During the call, I had no idea I would be one of those invited.
Last week, Nona Church’s worship leader reached out to me and asked how I felt about returning to in-person gatherings, and how I felt about serving at them. I was very hesitant and didn’t respond for many days. I was weighing all the factors: my desire to go back, the wishes of my roommate, the safety of the intern community, just to name a few. This happens often when I make decisions: I have a gut reaction, and then my head runs through all the pros and cons of that specific choice. Most of the time they lead to the same outcome, but one takes so much longer. After overthinking and discussing it with my roommate, I said I felt comfortable returning and serving on the worship team. A few days later, I received an email titled “Preview Service Invitation.” Part of the email said:
“I have missed you all so much and I want to extend an invitation to join us on Sunday morning at 10am for a preview service. We're gearing up for broadcasting our in-person gatherings on Sept. 6 and over the next two weeks we'll be working out some kinks to get that ready.”
I was very excited! But I was also not expecting to go back so quickly. So after more thinking and conversations, I decided it was cool to attend.
This Sunday (23 Aug) was the first time I attended an in-person worship service since March. Between the parking lot and the building, multiple masked volunteers greeted me. They asked me about my temperature and symptoms, checked me in, and made sure I was returning their smiles behind my mask. I used the automatic hand sanitizer dispenser before entering the Wycliffe Discovery Center, a space that hosted 700-people gatherings pre-Covid. There were less than one hundred chairs neatly arranged in groups of 2s through 6s, and the tech booth sat squarely in the center of the space. Here’s a visual.
Safe Space
Because I came by myself, I sat in a two-chair pod near the front of the stage. Even though the seat next to me was empty, the greeter assured that she would not let anyone to sit next to me. I was probably ten feet from my neighbors. Yay for proper social distancing J
Before service began, pastor Collin stepped onstage and gave a little announcement. He said that the rest of the church family was already watching the pre-recorded broadcast of the current series. There is no one watching this service live, but he was going to address the online audience as well as look at the camera from time to time, just for practice. He added that the sermon he was preaching live was not the pre-recorded service; it was written specifically for this audience – stakeholders and volunteers who would be involved in making the transition easier for the rest of the church family. While this was, in a sense, a rehearsal service, Collin encouraged us to engage with our hearts and meet God during this service. Finally, he invited all of us to fill out the feedback survey after church return next week for another opportunity to participate. With that, he walked off the stage and the band started playing like at a normal pre-Covid service.
It has been very, very since I was part of live worship. I saw the worship band. I felt the bass drum. I heard people singing around me. A chill went down my spine. I was surrounded by a cloud of believers (Hebrews 12:1 reference). It had been so long that I forgot what corporate worship felt like. As I lifted my hands, I thanked God for the opportunity to be a part of this special service.
But this is why I love Nona Church. So much planning, thought, and effort went into making this transition back to in-person services easy and accessible. Collin often uses the phrase, “How to best serve our community,” and I love the posture and implications of that. It’s one of a servant’s heart in the spirit of giving. There’s also pursuit of excellence, even in uncharted territory. Also, Collin prepared an entire new sermon just for this rehearsal service! What?! But after hearing the sermon, it made so much sense. He had the audience in mind, cast vision for the church, and shared it with people who would come alongside him for the journey. The title of his sermon was “Renewed for Revival.”
“O Lord, I have heard the report of you,
and your work, O Lord, do I fear.
In the midst of the years revive it;
in the midst of the years make it known;
in wrath remember mercy.” – Habakkuk 3:2
He started out talking about what people have been spending their time doing during the quarantine. Many have started home improvement projects, baked loads of bread, or built a home gym. He spent his time researching revivals of the Church.
When revival happens in the church, there is always three things: a rediscovery to the gospel, a resurgence of corporate prayer, and real cultural impact. It occurs when people experience “crystallization of discontent”: the moment someone or culture realizes that what they have they no longer want. They come to their senses that the status quo is not enough, and what they need is more of God. Perhaps there is deep division. Racial injustice. Economic upheaval. Disillusioned young people. Or all of the above. These are the conditions in which God starts a revival.
Just to be clear, we cannot create a revival. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can move in people’s hearts and create genuine change. So the question is not: how to start a revival, but am I prepared to be used by God in a revival?
But even before God starts a public revival, there is personal renewal (thus the title of the sermon).
The action steps for renewal are pretty intuitive and standard for the Christian walk: read God’s word and pray. It’s surprising how simple following God is, yet how often we make it more complicated than necessary.
I walked away from the service excited for what God is doing, but also extremely convicted. There’s always more I could be doing: spending more time in Scripture, more time praying,…
To be renewed is to be filed with radical, unconditional grace and mercy. As a result, there is no arrogance, judgment, or hypocrisy in revival. These are the fruits of renewal, Such good sound-bites that I hope translate to more time spent with God, in His word and in prayer.
Reflection 06 September 2020
This blogpost has been sitting as a draft for over two weeks. Part of me is a little ashamed to post this because I personally have not been living out the action steps. I question whether I'm ready for renewal, or if God would want to start a renewal in me. By some standards, I'm doing quite poorly spending time in the Word and praying. Somehow, I think I have to master these things before I can talk about them.
But no, I'm being reminded that I will never reach perfection on this side of heaven. And it's OK to share convictions and encourage those around us. So here is this entry, a couple weeks delayed. Thanks for reading, and have a blessed long weekend 😊
