I don’t think I fully appreciated the ease of life before CoVid 19. In the olden days (pre-CoVid) I rose early every Sunday morning, made my coffee and breakfast, then revised my sermon one last time. After breakfast I showered and dressed, selecting one of my many “Sunday” outfits and headed out. We gathered in the sanctuary, hugged one another, enjoyed our congregational singing and fellowship. Life was so easy!
As with so many things in my life, I don’t fully appreciate them until I lose them. Assembling for worship back in our sanctuary took some preparation and thought. Our worship chairperson read materials about how to keep our worship attendants safe. She showed up in the sanctuary with her mathematical measuring device (a 6’ shower curtain rod) and carefully separated all the seats – frontways, sideways, backways and crossways. Then, even though our worship is all based upon the Bible, she dutifully removed all Bibles and Hymnals as well. She instructed the worship leaders to wear masks, and hung signs to remind worshippers that masks are required as well as social distancing.
My life got harder too. It takes time to figure out what to wear under my robe now. It must be light enough for comfort inside the sanctuary and warm enough for my greeting time outside. After selecting the perfect outfit, I need to decide if I will apply makeup to half of my face or my full face – how far can our congregation members see? Then, one last decision, which earrings can I wear? The earrings that match my outfit are not always small enough to easily slide the mask over them. But that’s not the end! When I get to the church, I must don my mask, remember to turn on my microphone, figure out when I can remove the mask and slide the microphone over my ear, all without losing an earring or wiping half of my makeup off. Church sure has become complicated!
Note to self:
The Bible is out, our singing voices are silenced, my arms are itching for a hug, but……………God is good and I’ll never take my church family for granted again.