Here is the link to join our Easter Sunday Worship:
http://www.slyreply.com/app/sheets/bxn5twe793su/
March 13, 2021
Lent, 2021
Dear BFCC Community,
On the first anniversary of the Corona virus outbreak I sit on my couch, watch the snow fall, and think back to a year ago. I remember Mandy and me (unmasked) in our sanctuary bumping elbows at the end of our service. Many congregations had already closed their doors that week. We would not return to that space in the same way for a little more than a year. We had no idea then what faced us.
Now, as we gear up as a church to meet again, we will gather--but it will be different.
Some people fight in the face of emergency. Some people flee (flight). Some people freeze. There’s more. Some gather more closely for reassurance. Some care for others. While some retreat into themselves like a coocon, as a form of prayer.
What was your response one year ago? As for me, in the face of the unexpected, I create.
Now, we face another transition. I’m a bit anxious. You might be too. I have so many questions. Ministry is an art. Will I have to pack up my metaphorical ministry markers and paint brushes? Will I finish the last touches on the canvas and hang it to dry?
There is reason to be hopeful. As hard as this year has been in so many exhausting ways, it was fun doing wild and creative ministry with all of you. We didn’t just survive this year. Together, there were times when we thrived. Also, we learned so much, and that is really important.
We tried new things that otherwise would not have been possible.
We learned to do church virtually.
We initiated small groups. Five groups met last summer.
We learned how to conduct meetings via Zoom.
We launched a groundbreaking Podcast: Jesus Has Left the Building. We interviewed leading figures that were also adapting to ministry during the pandemic including Drew Hart, Stephany Rose Spauding, Shane Claiborne, John Dorhauer, Jacqui Lewis. It was worship and formation.
And we read new books together: We Will Be a Witness (Drew Hart), Love is the Way (Michael Curry), Seeds of Devotion (Roger Butts).
We also cared for each--door to door. So. Much. Caring.
It felt like we were living into the Kin-dom that Jesus is talking about! Our history of connecting through worship, each week, enabled us to be creative in the face of a global pandemic. As Priya Parker says in her book, The Art of Gathering, “A part of the art of gatherings is to get people off their scripts and do things that are unexpected.” For worship at BFCC the unexpected is the transformation of God and the dismantling of the status quo, taken back into the world. Now, it’s time to get back to our space so we can do just that. The good news is that all the innovation we launched this past year will continue even as we gather in the sanctuary again.
We plan to have our last zoom worship on Sunday, March 28, 2021, Palm Sunday.
The following Sunday is Easter, April 4, 2021.
We will begin with offering 40 slots. See link below to sign up to attend.
9:30am-10:00am we will fellowship and gather.
10:00am-10:30am we will worship and celebrate new life in our midst.
If the slots fill up, we will offer a second worship service. If you are still not comfortable coming to the church building (brick & mortar) but want to continue to stay connected, we will make our messages available online the following Wednesdays (stay tuned for the platform).
We have been in a year-long season of Lent, like the baby gestating and then being born anew. Or, like a caterpillar… she simply stops eating, hangs upside down from a twig or leaf and spins herself a silky cocoon. The transforming and birthing of something new is not easy. Not for the baby, the caterpillar, or the church. I don’t know about you, but I rest easy knowing that we have worked hard, made art, birthed new ministries, and gotten to know each other more deeply. We have done the work, together, and now it is time to celebrate, together! It’s time to birth something new.
We hope you join us for Easter Sunday to celebrate new life together!
Here is the link to sign up to attend worship on Sunday, April 4. If you have any issues getting signed up, contact Mandy and she’ll help you! (mandytodd@blackforestcommunitychurch.org)
http://www.slyreply.com/app/sheets/bxn5twe793su/