Dear Friends,
Welcome to worship for Sunday, September 4, 2022. It was so noisy in the church on Wednesday! That was the first day of a two-day Vacation Church School run by Rosalie and a team of volunteers. All the sounds of children running and laughing and enjoying themselves. All the chaos of craft time, lesson time, snack time, game time. It was a joyful noise and it has been sorely missed. It wasn’t simply a return of VBS but I think it may have been the first midweek children’s programming we have had at the church in almost two and a half years. Yes, it has been quiet around here and maybe I was especially aware of the noise on Wednesday because I have gotten too used to the silence.
But a church at its best is a noisy, active, even messy place. We are made to be together and when we are together noise and mess follow. It’s not that we have been inactive (far from it) but as we all know we are hoping for a return to normal, though normal may look a little different than we remember. I think that is going to be the case for all activity. And certainly for all churches. One hopeful sign of the return to normal is that next Sunday, September 11 we will be having the first of two baptism services this fall (making up for lost time). Communion will return later this fall as we work on safety protocols for the sacrament. Church School will return September 11 having learned how to manage expectations in a test run this spring. Seekers (bible study) returns in person September 13. Choir is looking to return as soon as a critical mass of voices are ready. We are even hoping that coffee time after church can make an appearance before long.
We will continue to take a cautious approach with an eye for safety and public health. That is part of the new normal. And we will continue to be unapologetic in our support for vaccinations and the best scientific advice of public health officials. 2 The most obvious change in our new normal is that for the immediate future our two services will no longer be 9:00 and 11:00 but rather 10:00 and online. 10:00 AM
Sunday will be the in-person worship time for Charleswood United Church for the foreseeable future. As well as being the moderating time we have used in the summer for many years, I believe it is of the utmost importance to worship with the most convenience possible for families with children whose activities do not wait for church. Our online ministry, begun in response to the pandemic, is proving to hold the attention of many and our hope is to continue this outreach indefinitely.
Finally, let me extend an invitation. All of our patterns have been disrupted since last the church was noisy. If worship in person has not been part of your routine for some time, I invite you to join us in the sanctuary once more. It is a wonderful combination of noise and silence, of solitude and community.
We long to welcome you to the new normal.
Grace and peace,
Michael
