Such a Strange Sunday

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."

I won't welcome the congregation with those words this morning. I won't be welcoming them at all, in fact. I'm sitting in my living room, 6am, still in my pajamas pants, a thermal shirt, and slippers - hardly my standard Sunday clerical attire: black shoes, pants, and clerical shirt. Most Sundays, I would either be at the church or on the way to the church, starting to review my sermon, looking over Bible class notes, and pausing to pray for those who will be attending church. Today, I'm on the couch, home-bound because of a - for this South Texan, at least - a serious snowstorm that dropped about a foot of snow in my yard. While I dislike very much cancelling church services, I think the elders made a wise call. With mostly an elderly congregation and many in outlying communities, it seems the prudent thing to do. So, in about 3 hours, along with the other members of St. Paul's, we will watch live a pre-recorded recording of the service that was recorded live in my office Friday morning. As fellow Boomers will recall, we wonder, "Is it live, or is it Memorex?"  

People say that when they miss Sunday church, it throws off their whole week. If that's true for the person in the pew, imagine from my perspective, absent from the pulpit. My week is a rhythm of preparing for Sunday all week - studying, reading, writing, re-writing, reading how other preachers have considered the text, re-writing again, and finally hitting "Print" on my better-or-worse weekly verbal offering. I say this somewhat tongue in cheek. After all, when I download a month's sermons from JoelOsteem.com, it doesn't take that much time, so I have plenty of my week available for golf, pickleball, and ax-throwing. OK...I really went off the deep rails there. I don't play golf, I couldn't pickle a ball even if I had a recipe, and the last time I threw an ax, the owner changed his sign from "Anyone can do this with a little practice" to "Most..." And, I have no idea if Joel Osteen has his sermons available or not. Probably, but behind a paywall is my guess. In fact, I don't use AI for sermon writing, either, so each week's sermon is a hard-fought process of prayer, study, reading and writing....and often, completely tossing a draft to start over in a new direction, sometimes more than once. (As an aside to why I don't use AI, I know myself and it would only exacerbate any tendencies my Old Adam already has toward laziness. So, with the knowledge that technology is neither good nor bad in and of itself, but in how it is used, I pray "Lead us not into temptation," and grind a sermon the old-fashioned way.)

Sorry...that last paragraph kind of got away from me. My point is that this throws my week off as well. So, to whomever may still be reading, may I offer this suggestion for today:

You notice I said "services" are cancelled. I didn't use the word "worship." While it won't be the same as gathering together, make your home a sanctified space of worship this morning. As Lutherans, our concept of "worship" is different than most evangelical churches. There, worship is what you do. For Lutherans, the concept of worship comes from a German word, "Gottesdeinst," which literally means "God's service," or "Service of God," if you prefer a literal translation of the genitive. We might cancel church (as a verb) but we can't cancel worship - Gottesdeinst. God serves us in Word and Sacrament and, as His people, we respond in prayer, praise, and receiving His gifts. While the public worship may be absent today, join in with other Christians by receiving His gifts of Word and preaching in your home. Turn your computer or phone to YouTube and at 9am and watch our abbreviated prayer and preaching service. I didn't sing any hymns, so sing a couple of your favorites. If you want some help, go to www.thehymnalproject.com and pick a couple from their collection to listen to or sing with.  

No - it won't be the same as being together on a Sunday, gathering, supporting, encouraging, listening, and serving together --- and being served together by the gifts of God. But today, it's the best we can do. 

I pray you are safe and warm, with a warm cup of coffee or cocoa, a belly of oatmeal or bacon and eggs (what do most people eat on Sundays, anyway?), are well-rested, and that in a day or two, life can return to a semblance of normal. If your work determines you are essential and you have to be out in the fluffy white stuff, be careful. God grant you safety in your journey, To those who have continued to work - particularly in transportation, at hospitals, as first responders, and as public services (ie, utility companies) - thank you for your sacrifice of comfort and for your faithful service to us, your community. 

Lord willing, we'll see you next Sunday as we gather again in church (noun) for church (verb) and receiving the gifts of God as He serves us with Word and Sacrament.