Getting a Bit of Perspective

The past two Sundays have been different from any other Sunday. They actually started on Saturdays, with an email from the church office letting us know that they had found a place to meet and asking if we plan to attend. For those of us who indicate that we plan to attend, there is a second email with the location of the service and reminders to keep it a secret: don't tell anyone for any reason; if anyone wants to attend but didn't get the email, send them to the office; no photos and no video.

On Sunday morning we set out to have church in an undisclosed location, and that is all I'm going to say about that.

It's different. I'm enough of a traditionalist to prefer things the way we've always done them. Besides that, I miss the building and my Sunday School class and knowing what's going on all the time. I liked things the way they were. You know how there are churches that advertise how they "aren't your parent's church" and they are "for people tired of church" and such? Yeah, that's not for me. I miss the way things were and long to have them back, and I don't really like having to have secret church.

But: I've been talking with friends back in Ontario this week. They are sad and hurting because they don't have a church family to gather with. Things are locking back down even more and the churches will be pretty much closed for at least four weeks (and no one really believes it will be only 4 weeks), and even before then, when things were at 15%, not all the churches bothered to open. One friend said that no one at her church will even discuss being open more; the other said that while she doesn't wish what we've gone through on her pastor or his family, she does wish that the leadership at her church would stand up the way our has.

I wept for them as I prayed fervently for them and for their shepherds, and that God would give them shepherds who would care for them. 

It helped remind me that I have been so blessed with the elders in my church, so blessed to have faithful shepherds who are taking care of me. It's been hard, but I will rejoice that we will continue to find a place to meet together each week to worship and fellowship and be a church family together.