WB It's Not Happening
With about 21% of the USA vaccinated against COVID, churches are itching to get back to in person worship. But children and many youths still unable to get the vaccine, and there’s still plenty of the population at risk to contract the virus. We are in an in-between time, where we can already taste the first fruits of a new life, but not yet realize the full potential. How does the church live by Wesley’s Three General Rules during this meantime?
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When John Wesley organized his societies of women and men seeking to live in holiness, he gave them three general rules to live by: do no harm, do good, attend to all the ordinances of God. This third command focuses on acts of worship and piety such as prayer, fasting, and holy communion. You can read how Wesley himself detailed these three rules at this link. Suffice it to say, doing no harm means intentionally refraining from actions that cause harm to others or oneself. Likewise, doing good means actively seeking the welfare of neighbor and creation. To do no harm and to do good is to practice the works of mercy (loving neighbor), while attending to the ordinances of God is to practice works of piety (loving God).
But what if it’s not clear? What if re-starting in-person worship allows us to attend to the ordinances of God, but potentially does harm by exposing the vulnerable population to the coronavirus? When we were all at risk before, many of us were quick to wear masks in order to protect not only ourselves but the vulnerable population. We knew that we were practicing the general rule to do no harm when we proactively wore our masks. But now people who were formally vulnerable, namely the older population, are mostly vaccinated, who can blame them for itching to get back to in-person group activities? Yet there still remains risk involved with getting back together for worship. Not to mention consideration for the ethics of holding in-person worship for the vaccinated-only.
Some churches have found great success in their online endeavors. Others never got online worship off the ground. And we all miss the grace experienced by sharing Holy Communion with one another in person, and the mystery of God’s presence found in congregational singing. We are in an in-between time, and we cannot predict how long it will last. Churches must prayerfully consider how to balance the three general rules as we consider how to be in worship together during this time. For those of you not involved in the decision making, I ask that you exercise patience with your church leadership. For those of you making these decisions, remember that you are not alone. Consult with the other church leaders in your area and build relationships outside of your own church community. We are still in a time requiring great imagination and creativity as we consider the best ways to engage our churches in worship.
And for those of you who have been recording worship non-stop since the pandemic hit, may you find ways to create sabbath space in your life. Pre-recorded worship is so time-consuming but often it pays off in big ways, and I know your team is working overtime to get it done every week. It sounds exhausting to imagine a time where we are both pre-recording worship AND offering in person services. Hang in there, everybody. And be in a spirit of prayer for the new things God is going to bring about in our worship!