The Sunday When Nobody Came to Church (3/15/20)

On Sunday March 15, we were planning to observe the 3rd Sunday in Lent and to give a nod to St. Patrick’s Day.  This was also to be the day when the Mary Circle would distribute soup to the people who ordered them.  But then the Coronavirus pandemic came out, and we had to change plans.

But life goes on.  God is ever present, and He gave us the resources and ingenuity to work things out.

Worship Service

Attended by no one, but seen by many…

Pastor Jim noted that a pastor’s ever-recurring nightmare is a scene where they get up to give their sermon and nobody is in the pews.  On Friday we made the decision to abide by the expert’s recommendation to avoid large gatherings.  The virus is spread between people and our congregation includes many elderly folks who are especially at risk.  So, we decided to play it safe and issue the unthinkable message:  Don’t Come to Church!

Instead, we conducted a service to an empty sanctuary which was seen only by our Live Stream camera.

But the Live Stream sent the service to over 150 people who were safely in their homes, away from the danger of contracting the virus or of spreading it.  For many, going to church on this Sunday involved viewing our Live Stream screen…

Soup Distribution

Several weeks ago, the Mary Circle of our United Methodist Women’s group took orders for home made soup.  People could select from a variety of Chicken Noodle, Vegetable Beef, Split Pea, and even Cheese Tortellini soups.  The money raised was to support the UMW missions projects, and the purchased soup was to be distributed between worship services on Sunday March 15. 

But, there was no “public” worship service and nobody came to church on Sunday March 15.  So, we used some creativity and formed a drive-through soup delivery.  From the safety of the car, people were handed their soup purchases, and approximately 70 people were warmed by this delicious home made soup.

Life Goes On…

God is in our midst, and His will won’t be thwarted. As Pastor Jim said in his sermon, “when you’re handed a blank playbook, put the pen in God’s hand.”  We do put forth our best effort; we try our best.  And yet, we remain still, avoid worry, and listen for God.  Just like the precautions we are taking with this virus, we do what we can.  But our focus is on God.  We pray, we keep still, and we trust God to be our refuge and strength in times of trouble.  

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