Pastor’s Message – June 23, 2020

All The Right Equipment

About ten years ago, I took up bike riding as a hobby. It had been an all-caps LONG time since I’d been on a bicycle, but the joy and freedom and fun came right back to me. After riding a borrowed bike for months, I decided to invest in my own. I naively believed it would be easy: walk into the bike shop with a budget, pick one within that budget, and take it home.

Then came the questions: what kind of terrain will you be riding? Road, mountain trails, or both? If you’re going to be on mountainous trails, won’t you need a GPS tracker? How many gears do you want, depending on the type of terrain? And did you know that shoelaces can get tangled in the pedals? Do you already have a helmet?

It’s a miracle I ever chose a bike with all those decisions! When I got overwhelmed with all the wheels before me, the salesman brought me back to reality with two statements: “All of this is about keeping you safe while you ride. All the right equipment will keep you safe.”

Preparing to regather for in-person worship in the midst of a pandemic has felt a lot like choosing the right bicycle and equipment for an unknown road. We can ride more confidently and freely and joyfully if we know we have done everything possible to keep ourselves and fellow riders safe. In the church building, the right kind of equipment to keep us safe are things like masks, hand sanitizer, minimizing contact surfaces, and distancing in smaller groups at first that we can grow with time.

I encourage you to tune in this Thursday night at 6PM on Facebook Live and YouTube Live for a congregational address from members of our task force about what to expect as we prepare for our first in-person worship gathering of 50 or less on Sunday, July 5. Let’s get our helmets ready and ride into the beauty of God’s future.

all good things to each of you,
Dr. D.

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