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In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.
-Genesis 1:1
When you think about it, the pandemic has changed so much. We went from normal worship, to online only, and then to in-person worship in the parking lot. With our Drive-in services, we've celebrated communion together, have worshiped twice in the rain, and celebrated World Communion Sunday. We even celebrated Kirkin' O' the Tartans together!
As the pandemic lingers on, I know many of us are ready to go back to the way it was. I myself would love to worship in person in our beautiful chapel with all of you. But, of course, we cannot ignore the present reality just because we want to do something.
Look at what happened in the very beginning. "The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep." (Genesis 1:1)
Then over the course of a week, God innovated and created all that we know today. Look at how the coming of the Christ child radically changed humanity, and the centuries of innovations in our Christian tradition that have brought us to where we are now. And consider how God continues to work in all of our lives today, constantly taking the old and innovating to create positive change through us. God is the Great Innovator in so many ways!
In this pandemic, JCPC has also innovated. Our online and Drive-in services are not just a band aid to "get us through" - they are carefully and prayerfully-prepared innovations that have allowed us to worship safely together in this historical, once-in-a-century pandemic. We will be back together indoors someday, but before we rush into an unsafe situation, I hope you will recognize that we are worshipping together each Sunday in a way that is truly authentic, engaging, and faith-driven. Other churches may have gone back to indoor worship, but in these challenging times, I believe that God is calling us to be radically innovative as the body of Christ - without putting lives at risk. We'll be keeping the faith together again this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot. Won't you join us?
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