Reopening Our Church
In our Bible study online session this past Tuesday, we looked forward to the day when we can reopen our Church. We Christians love to come together and join our voices and hearts together in worship. We love to shake hands and hug!
And so, when the day comes, we ask: How will social distancing affect Church services and coffee hour? How many will be allowed to attend? How can we be welcoming? How can we assist people and have the Church meet their needs?
During the pandemic, what did we do to continue our Christian mission? All Saints Church made it a priority to connect and reach out to people. We contacted them with phone calls, letters, and emails. Our Sunday School provides content to our families. Our Sunshine Squad continues to make calls and ask people how they are doing and if they need anything. Our website is current and provides communication links and resources.
Furthermore, as Orthodox Christians, we encouraged people to not only give to our Church, but also to community charities. We need to continue giving – especially in the days ahead when we can help each other rebuild our livelihoods and make for a robust economic recovery, as God blesses us.
Will we have new members? Will we have new converts? Polls show that many people viewed the pandemic as a “wake-up call.” As a result, many people are wanting to know more about the Christian Faith.
We’re more aware of how fragile life is, and that we can’t control everything. We’ve become more mindful of life, death, and the afterlife. We ask: What is our purpose, how can we know it, and how can we have a closer relationship with God?
We’re trying to figure out what really matters. With empty stadiums and theatres, we’ve let go of our cultural amusements. Confidence in the money markets has been shaken. We’ve learned that our spiritual health is very important – it can also influence our physical health. Above all, we’ve rediscovered our reliance on God.
We’ve realized that our leaders, doctors and scientists don’t have all the answers. And like all of us, they make mistakes. Knowing this, we are turning to God for answers.
God gives the wisdom (of when and how to reopen). God gives the grace. God gives the desire. God gives the perseverance and patience. God gives us the comfort when we’re feeling down. God gives the love we have for others and our willingness to sacrifice for them.
There are encouraging signs that people want to participate more fully in the Christian life and come back to Church. Many are willing to freshly embrace the teaching and preaching of the Church. They are asking questions about healing and hope. The growing popularity of livestreaming of Divine Liturgies is another encouraging sign. All of us are realizing how essential Church is: Our appreciation has grown and we no longer wish to take it for granted. *
During this time of renewal, Orthodox Christianity will be offered an unprecedented opportunity to show people the ancient faith. Are we ready?
Regarding the Church opening itself, we will wait for the directives of the government and public health authorities. We will also note how other provinces are reopening their Churches and see if we can do the same. Church attendance may be limited at first, from 10 to 50 people.
We invite everyone to submit ideas on how to reopen All Saints Church and welcome people back (please email us at: biblestudy@allsaintstoronto.ca )
Here are some suggestions from our Bible study participants:
Greeters to welcome people cheerfully at the door and offer spiritual encouragement, providing pamphlets and updates
Depending on attendance restrictions, some people may be directed to wait outside (listening to the Divine Liturgy on speakers) until coffee hour – which may be served in the parking lot
Invite speakers to talk about reentering work and school routines, applying our faith in our daily living, managing our finances
Have our Philoptohos prepare a fellowship luncheon with everyone pitching in
Encourage Sunday school students to discuss their faith and how they managed at home, and get them to participate in various fun activities
Have conferences, workshops and retreats for youth, adults and ministry leaders
Encourage people to be grateful, and especially to those who normally don’t receive Thanks, and encourage people to focus on what unites us rather than what separates us
Through the pandemic, the Little Church at home grew. Let’s keep the momentum going. Let’s continue to pray in our homes and use our prayer corners. Let’s continue praying with our family members and friends. Let’s come back to our roots. Out of necessity we’re learning to live the Christian life more so than ever. What we are doing, is what we should have been doing before. Let’s continue to do so out of gratefulness and thanksgiving.
We thought Pascha would pass us by without connection, without prayer, without cheer, without fervor. But it did not. Through our troubles, we found a way to celebrate Christ’s resurrection!
And so we recall Romans 8:28: “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
* “You cannot pray at home, like you can at church, where there is a great multitude; where exclamations are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is something more: the union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity, the prayers of priests.”
- St. John Chrysostom