I didn't go to church yesterday.
Okay, I kind of did -- in my sweats, on my sofa, with my coffee -- online.
Yeah, I forsook the assembly and skipped the "traditional" gathering at the brick and mortar building.
If I continue to do what I've been doing for most of the past year, will it ever become a new tradition?
Will online Facebook live and YouTube services be the new way to go to church far beyond the end of the coronavirus pandemic?
I don't think that would be a bad thing -- except for the potential income of many churches.
How important is a weekly gathering of like believers?
Is a weekly Sunday morning pastor's sermon foundational to growing or maintaining our faith?
As a former preacher, I am painfully aware that most of us have forgotten 90% of what was said on Sunday morning by the time we get to work on Monday. We are more likely to remember the pitch count from Sunday's baseball game or the total passing yards from our team's football game than we are at remembering any of the text (much less the subject) of Sunday's message.
Why is that?
Could it be that we don't experience church with the same emotional connection we have with our team's sporting event? Or with a concert? Or with a movie? Or even with a mini gathering of family or friends at the lake or around a meal?
Honestly, I've done more connecting to God sitting alone on my back porch this year than I have in decades of going to church. Just as the pandemic had positive effects on nature, maybe it had some positive effects on our spiritual lives, as well. I know it did for me.
Never fear -- I'm not ready to give up on church just yet. However, I do hope that pastors and church leaders will consider that maybe there is a new and better way to do church. A little evolution and adaptation is a good thing.
If you were going to restructure church in a post pandemic world, what would it look like?
Would you meet weekly?
Would you have more of an online presence?
Would you encourage more personal meditation and study of nature and of God?
Or maybe you see the old ways as good enough for you and good enough for future generations and you would double down (pardon the gambling pun) on the failing traditions of the past.
How would Jesus worship in twenty-first century America (or wherever you might be)?
How would Jesus teach in twenty-first century America?
Would Jesus look at the way we structure worship and teach about God and think it is a good thing?
According to the gospels, Jesus told his disciples that people would know they were his followers by the way they love.
Do people look at the church today and think -- "Those people are followers of Jesus. I can tell by the way they love others!"
Just some crazy thoughts for a Monday morning.
Nothing to see here. Move along.
John
Posts to Out of My Hat are just my thoughts on varied subjects from politics, religion, parenting, magic and life in general. Please feel free to comment on or share any of the material found here. Just note the source and, when possible, provide a link to Out of My Hat.
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