In a conversation with some friends, fellow pastors all, I learned that every one of our churches is now averaging for in-person worship around one-third of our pre-pandemic numbers, and that’s a common trend apparently. In a recent conference at the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas (COR), participants reported the same attendance, as did the leaders of COR, the largest United Methodist Church in the United States. We’re all seeing higher participation on-line, of course, but it’s the in-person presence I want us to think about a bit.
I’m proud of how Glenn Memorial has handled the pandemic. We’ve taken a reasoned and compassionate approach in every decision, following the science to care for and protect one another and our neighbors. We were cautious in our return to physical gatherings, and we continue to be careful, requiring masks in all our worship services. I believe we have done the right things at the right times, showing appropriate flexibility and response in a constantly changing environment.
We’ve also given serious thought and prayer to how we will emerge from this unprecedented season. There’s no magic switch to throw that will return us to the pre-pandemic world. It’s gone, that world. The riverbanks might look familiar, but it’s not the same water.
What does it mean to be the church together in October, 2021? After prayerfully and thoughtfully discussing that question, our church council has set for the year ahead three simple emphases around which to structure our life and work, all of them in the form of an invitation.
Invite Christ to transform my heart and mind;
Invite all to the welcoming table;
Invite transformation in our church, community, and world
Together, we will refocus, re-energize, and renew our spirits for a new season.
So, I invite you to come to church in the weeks ahead. You might not be ready, I know. You might want to continue to worship virtually. That’s fine. But I invite you to consider how you can venture out and in—out of your home and back into this holy space we share and the holy moment called worship.
This Sunday, October 17, is a good time to start. We are beginning a new sermon series called, appropriately, “Invited,” and it all begins with an invitation to find anew the healing grace of Jesus Christ after this long season of loss, grief, fatigue, and anxiety. “Come to me all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Jesus meant it when he said those words. Are you weary and your burdens heavy? Our return to church begins with that acknowledgement and with Christ’s offer of grace and peace.
Here’s a look at the weeks ahead:
October 17: “Invited to Heal” (Psalm 130, Matthew 11:25-30)
October 24: “Invited to Begin Anew” (Ezekiel 37:1-10, Philippians 3:4b-14)
October 31: “Invited to Turn the World Upside Down” (Malachi 3:1-6, Acts 17:1-9)
November 7, All Saints Sunday: “Invited to the Welcoming Table” (Isaiah 25:6-9, Romans 15:1-5, 9-18)
November 14, Commitment Sunday: “Invited to Joy” (Isaiah 61:1-3, Philippians 4:1-9)
Over these coming weeks, you are invited to gather with the saints of God and, well, BE. With others, find healing. Allow beautiful music to speak to your soul. Hear some words of grace. Rediscover the blessings to be found on a shared pew. Love and be loved. And together, we’ll begin anew in a new season of life.
Yours in Christ,
Mark Westmoreland,
Senior Pastor