Column by Manning Pastor Sam Livingston: Church after the pandemic

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For the last year, so many parishioners have experienced worship services differently. We have either eliminated or reduced our in-person services. The COVID-19 virus disrupted the entire year of 2020. While we are praying to get back into our churches on a normal basis, we must also prepare for the possible changes that will come with the reopening of our churches. I’m afraid that our worship services will take several years after the pandemic to get back to normal. If the truth be said, I hope we don’t get back to what we call normal. Normal as we saw it was nothing like what God expected from us.

The psalter wrote in the final Psalms of the Bible, “Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD,” PSALM 150:6.

If we go back to normal, would this mean that we will show up for services late, sit down like we are entitled to be entertained and served like dignitaries? Would it mean that every parishioner should know where you normally sit and be forbidden to sit there? Would it mean that the place where you worship should be satisfied with the offerings you give although you would be robbing God? Would it mean that you can go back to just being in attendance for services like Easter and Christmas? Would it mean that you will show up to critique those who could not afford the type of clothing you wear? Would it mean that you would enjoy warming the bench in church but despise warming the bench when you played sports? If this is our idea of getting back to normal, then maybe God needs to keep us out of church a little while longer.

Remember back in the chalkboard days when the students totally disrespected the teacher? He or she had to write on the chalkboard things like, “I will always remember to do my homework” or “I will be nicer to the other students.” The other students would be out for recess, and you would be in the classroom writing on the board what you pledge not to do or say again. We have been writing in our homes now for a year. So church after the pandemic should look, sound and be familiar, but different for so many of us. We should have been writing in our minds phrases like, “I will not warm the pews in church anymore,” “I will sing praises to the Lord, his praises will be on my lips at all times,” “I will bless the Lord at all times,” “I will keep my mind on Christ and not the fashion of the people around me.” The chalkboard of our hearts should be filled by now with our new pledges based upon returning in person to our church worship services.

Besides our forms of worship, there are so many other things that we need to be aware of. I’m reminded of the movie “First Sunday” where neighborhood thugs plotted and attempted to rob the church on the big money day, first Sunday. Yes we will have people attending church for a while wearing all types of masks. We will have to heighten security in a whole new way. A visitor could be a robber hiding behind the mask. So additional checks and balances must be put in place for the collection and security of monies. There is a list of recommendations outlined by DHEC regarding returning to church worship services after the pandemic. The use of other platforms such as social media and the internet would have to continue for those who will not feel comfortable returning in person because they have lost loved ones to COVID-19. Some of them may be survivors themselves of the virus and are still having nightmares of their struggles after testing positive. Regardless of how we want to perceive it, church after the pandemic will be different!

This is really an introduction to a session that I will be teaching March 1-3, 2021, during the Sumter Baptist M&E Congress on Christian Education. I invite you to join me and other instructors in our quest to teach various subjects virtually. You can get more information by visiting our website at www.sbmea.org.

Sam Livingston is pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Manning.