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Someday we are going to tell our children and grandchildren about 2020. We will tell them about this virus and all of these weird changes that we had to make. We will talk about social distancing and how big corporations turned over their production to provide essential medical equipment. Maybe we will end up talking about how America’s economy roared back or maybe we will tell them how it didn’t. Maybe we will tell them about loved ones that passed. At least we will have a good story to tell.
I wonder what we will tell them about our worship services. Will we explain that the reason they do all of their worship virtually is really because of the Covid-19? Will we say that we used to have freedom to assemble before the Covid-19? Will it still be as important to us?
We need to realize that by our actions and attitude, we are actually telling them a lot right now. Here are some possible messages you are sending to your kids:
If we are making no effort to worship, we are telling them that worship was never really that important.
If we talk during the broadcast, eat our food during “worship”, and allow them to behave differently than if they were at the building, we are telling our children that worship isn’t very serious.
When we decide to cut certain acts of worship out, we are telling them that worship has no standard.
Our attitude may tell them that things you do around other people are different than the things you do when no one is watching.
We may be telling them that the Joshua 24:15 sign in our house is just for decoration.
Hopefully it’s not the case for you and your house. Hopefully you are telling them that we worship God whether we have 500 people or whether we are alone on the Isle of Patmos. Hopefully you are letting them know that worshipping in spirit and in truth does not depend on where you are (Jn 4:21). Hopefully we are telling them that this isn’t something we do; this is who we are.
One of my dad’s favorite expressions is, “its easier to avoid a mess than to clean one up.” May we especially take that to heart with these things during this time.
Ben Shafer
LaFollette church of Christ
LaFollette, TN