Church in the COVID Era

In a few minutes I'll be watching The Venues' Sunday service online. They have pretty strict protocols in place for live, in person church and we've been there a few times, but I mostly just watch it online these days. I have been going to our Thursday night barchurch at 425 (also has COVID protocols in place), but am thinking I may need to reconsider as our local numbers are on the rise.

I would say that (pre-COVID) we were more than casual church goers. And although I generally watch online, there isn't the same attachment to the service or connection with the people. I know there are many churches that meet with fewer restrictions than The Venues and some that have struggled to adapt to a technical alternative to meeting in large groups. I'm wondering if overall church attendance is getting back to more normal numbers or if has leveled off at a much lower number. I doubt that many churches are growing at this time, even though it seems like it would be a time when many people might be looking for the comfort that can often be found in God. 

I do miss the the personal connections from a weekly gathering of friends. I miss the handshakes, hugs, and happy greetings. There is a good energy in gathering with friends that are good at loving people. But I've also grown dangerously comfortable in my isolation. While many people are desperate to resume life as usual, I am happy to now have an acceptable excuse to continue in a contemplative life apart from people. 
The online version of church works well for me. I'm going to have to be careful that it doesn't keep me isolated as life moves forward and we soon move into a post-COVID era.

John