"Worship During a Pandemic" by Chip Handrich

There are many things that I miss during this time of virtual worship, but among the things that I miss the most is corporate worship. Gathering weekly for corporate worship is not only one of the most important core values of our church, but the book of Hebrews tells us not to forsake it.

So, what are we to do? It is obvious that we cannot meet together. Not only are indoor settings ripe for virus spread but singing indoors has also been proven to exponentially increase the likelihood of spread. Does this mean, since we cannot worship together, that we cannot worship at all?

While thinking about this, a verse in Genesis came to mind: “When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So, they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:8-9, NLT).

In the Genesis narrative, there is no indication of the length of time before the fall. Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Millennia? We simply don’t know. What we do know is that God desired to commune with humans. God walking in the garden with humans was not an unusual experience. The implication is that Adam and Eve were expecting God to show up like God did every day. God has a desire to commune with us and if we are honest, God’s desire to commune with us is much greater than our desire to commune with God.

Expecting to encounter God as usual but having disobeyed God, Adam and Eve hid. In what ways do we hide from God? I know that I can allow the business of life, screen time, my daily to do list, and myriad other things to get in the way of my communing with God. All the while, God is walking in the “garden” waiting patiently for me.

Perhaps the thing that speaks to me the most in this passage is, “The Lord God called…” No matter where I am in my journey, no matter what my current circumstances are, no matter how much I try to hide from God, God is calling and saying, “Let’s spend some time together. I am here waiting for you.”

Worship is a conversation between us and God. When we are worshipping together, singing is an important part of that conversation. Right now, that is difficult for many at home watching on a screen. If you are not comfortable singing out loud, sing silently to yourself, “…singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:16) There are also many other ways to have a conversation with God. I have been reminded lately of the “breath prayer.” This involves sitting quietly for a minute or two and concentrating on my breath. Then, I take a passage of Scripture such as Psalm 46, and as I inhale, I silently say, “God is my refuge and strength…” As I exhale, I say, “…therefore I won’t fear.” As God speaks to me, then I can speak to God and tell God the things that are causing me to be afraid. Find your own passage or do an internet search on “breath prayer” for many good examples.

This will be over, one day, and we will worship together again. Oh, what a day that will be! I cannot wait to hear us all singing together. Until then, God is calling, waiting, expecting to commune with us.