Two years ago, I chose “Go Through” as the title of this column, because I was thinking that an Interim Ministry between two settled Ministers is like the space between two rooms.  I was watching Downton Abbey two years ago (remember when we were all watching Downton Abbey?).  In nearly every episode the Grantham family would finish a meal in their dining room, one character would place her folded napkin on the table, push her chair back, and ask, as she stood, “Shall we go through?”  Then they’d leave the scene in the dining room and appear in the next scene in the drawing room, going through the space between.

            Now the metaphor seems apt for a different kind of passage between two rooms.  It’s as though last month, rather abruptly, our scene in one room ended, and we were hurried into the hall, and asked to make our way to another room.

            Church feels between now.

            We’re still in the space between settled Ministers.  And we’re also in the space between church as we knew it, and the church that we might be in the future.  Much of what we had to leave behind last month will return, when we have gone through this current health crisis.  But some aspects of our church will be forever changed.  And that’s good, I believe.

            We are learning how to be a virtual church.  We are worshipping online, and soon will be meeting online.  Frankly, that’s a dimension to our church we probably should have explored long ago.  Think of the number of homebound church members who could have worshipped with us from their homes if we had made that possible.  We had over 800 persons access our worship on March 15 through the livestream and the recording, many more than we have ever had in physical worship.  That’s a lesson we should not forget once we start in person worship again.  People are looking for us, wanting to be with us.

            We are living the truth that we’ve known spiritually but maybe never quite believed:  church is not the building.  Church is the people, the relationships, the community.  We’re learning new ways to care for each other across physical distance:  thoughts, prayers, voices on phone calls, words through email or text, images through Zoom or Facebook.

Won’t it be a blessed relief when we have gone through this passage and emerge in the room where we can gather in person again?   But there, then, we will have the skills we’re learning now, too.  And more people will be with us, there, and in more ways.  That’s good.

            In Downton Abbey, we never saw the hall between the dining room and the drawing room.  Now we are discovering it is a dark passage.  It’s challenging.  It’s confusing.  I feel we’re not just going through the hall but being asked to construct the hall as we go.  It’s a struggle and a journey none of us wanted to make.  But the way to get through is to go through, to keep going until we get there.

            Hold my (virtual) hand.  Take a (metaphorical) step.  Shine the flashlight. Sing a cheerful tune.  Come along then.  Let’s go.