By Pastor Jeffrey E. Meinz

“I never would have dreamed as I was preparing to become a pastor that there would be a day when I would be leading an online worship service to an empty sanctuary.”

COVID 19 has certainly stretched the Church far beyond our imagination and worship as we know it might never be the same.

It’s possible that the “sharing of the peace” during worship is a thing of the past. Hugs and handshakes may slowly begin to fade. Introverts around the world rejoice while those who love warm hugs abhor the thought.

“What about the passing of the offering plate?
Does weekly giving transition to only on-line or will we drop our offering into locked boxes as we enter or leave the sanctuary?
Isn’t that what the widow did with her mite?”

• Will we be required to wear masks during worship?
• What does that mean for hymn singing?
• Will the adult choir need purple masks to match their robes?
• How muffled might the liturgy sound?
• Will the pastors always wear rubber gloves during the distribution of communion?
• In an effort to adhere to 6 feet of social distancing will we only be able to sit in every other pew?
• Can we ever use paper bulletins again or will everything be projected onto the screens?
• Don’t even get me started on proper hymnal usage! Did the people at 8 o’clock use antibacterial gel prior to handling the hymnal because now the people at 9:30 need to use the same one?

What about coffee and cookies? Can you casually walk up to a table full of home-made coffee cake and safely make your selection? You might begin to wonder who touched the coffee pot prior to you. Is anybody disinfecting the jug of creamer between uses? Maybe we should each arrive to church with our own travel mugs of coffee and individually wrapped chocolate covered coconut macaroons.

“To some of you, this might all sound a little silly. To others, this sounds like a necessity. Honestly, a significant majority of us don’t know what to think.”

Worship has been shifting from the beginning of time. Originally, worship had a grand attendance of only two. Adam and Eve sat on a rock, probably near the back of the garden, and worshiped God. Abraham and Sarah probably worshiped God from underneath a tent. The Israelites worshiped God in Egypt, then in the desert, then in the Tabernacle. Solomon built an elaborate temple. Jesus taught the people from the side of a mountain. The very first Easter was hosted at an empty tomb. King David experienced worship with a lute and a lyre. Martin Luther loved the organ. Many Christians today enjoy the sound of a praise team. Yes, worship has always been shifting.

But one thing has remained the same: Jesus. That will never change!

I sincerely don’t know what worship looks like in the future at Holy Cross Lutheran Church. Surely it will change in some form or fashion. I don’t anticipate anything drastic, but I do know this: We will gather, we will worship God, we will faithfully distribute the Sacraments, and we will overwhelmingly receive God’s abundant mercy and grace. Worship has always been shifting, but God does not change.

“Therefore we will gather together and somehow worship an unchanging God. Minor shifts may occur here and there but God’s perfect gifts delivered to his people will never change.”