Pineridge Blog
If my math is correct Sunday, August 2nd will be our 20th Livestream only worship.
The photo is of Ellie, our granddaughter, laying her hands on the Ipad last week while I am praying. She is a very pious child, no doubt! Marcia took the picture Sunday morning when Ellie was here for a brief visit. At this rate she may grow up thinking that worship only exists on some kind of electronic device!
It has deeply discouraged me sometimes in the last few months that Ellie could come to think that Marcia and I (Gigi & Pops) also only exist on an electronic device. Facetime has been great to see her grow, begin to eat solid food and crawl. She and Gigi always have lengthy conversations, which mostly consist of high-pitched squeaks that drive our dog crazy. But it is just not the same as being together.
I confess that we have spent time with members of our extended family after several months apart. I never thought I would feel guilty for getting together with family. Usually I feel guilty for not getting together with family often enough. But after many careful conversations, discussion of boundaries and masks, minimal touching, and lots of time outside, we have risked it a few times. One of the cruelties of COVID-19 is that makes us question what feels right in order to truly love. We each have to be honest about our concerns, our own health and that of others, and make our own decisions about risks we are willing to take for love.
Livestream worship is better than I had expected, but it is not the same. I miss seeing everyone and having conversations in the Holy Grounds Café and between services. I miss the church singing. But the main reason we continue to delay is not out of fear but out of love. Some risks are just not worth taking, because we first love. For now we continue to choose not being together in order to spread love and not the virus.