Thought for Today
Job 37:9 From its chamber comes the whirlwind, and cold from the scattering winds.
Zechariah 14:6 On that day there shall not be either cold or frost.
John 18:18 Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself.
Acts 28:2 The natives showed us unusual kindness. Since it had begun to rain and was cold, they kindled a fire and welcomed all of us around it.
Today is Valentine’s Day. Like so many, I have 2 thoughts on my mind today. First, how in the world did the Astros let Alex Bregman get away(maybe a third thought, why did he sign with the Sox?)? And, of course, paramount on everyone’s mind today, does www stand for ‘weekend winter weather?’ Once again, throughout much of the country, we are faced with predictions for bad weather beginning Saturday evening and extending well into Sunday.
Today, many places of worship are struggling with whether or not to have in-person worship this weekend. For many of us, modern technology (and the other www) offers the option of accessing one of the meeting softwares or streaming platforms to share our worship electronically. Most of us would agree that such worship is not the same as being together, in person among our family of faith. Humans are basically ‘herd’ animals, preferring to be physically together.
One of the handiest phrases that arose from the devastation of the COVID pandemic is, “Out of an abundance of caution.” I’m fairly certain that I am not alone in using this phrase and in remembering this phrase as I consider my own opinion concerning the safety of attempting to navigate the highways and byways this weekend to drive to worship . . . or anywhere else.
This sort of consideration is not limited to winter or to questions of in-person worship. Before Greta and I moved to New England, we were occasionally faced with other threats from nature. Hurricanes, tornadoes, in Texas blue northers all present people with the issue of safe travel. One of the decision-making tools often used in business is what is termed a risk-reward ratio. The idea is that one assesses the risk of something against the reward from that same thing.
I do not know how to assess the risk-reward ratio of the question of Zoom worship verses in-person worship. The Bible verses I have above all refer to cold. Certainly, for those of us ‘of an age,’ the cold temperature does pose a risk. Seniors are often reminded of the dangers of pneumonia and the need to be vaccinated. Recent television reports have noted the increased number of reported cases of respiratory diseases such as influenza, COVID, and RSV.
Frigid temperatures also pose risks for almost all forms of transportation. Riding or waking, ice formations on traversed surfaces pose the danger of losing traction resulting in slipping or crashing and the potential for fractured or broken bones. Age does not mitigate the dangers; it increases the dangers.
What does the Bible tell us about worship? “Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.” “Deuteronomy 5:12 Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you.” I suspect that most religions have something similar in their holy writings. Of course, over the history of our own faith, the understanding of which day is the sabbath has varied. Our Jewish ancestors-in-the-faith and their descendants understood sabbath as the period from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. At some point, Christians shifted to Sundays; and, today, for many, sabbath is only Sunday morning.
What does God tell us about worship? “Luke 10:27 He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’" Professionally, I don’t want to minimize the value of in-person, corporate worship. But, I’m equally certain that as long as we live lives of love for God and each other, God is okay with either in-person worship or Zoom worship. The real question is which best demonstrates our love and concern for neighbors, i.e., for each other. We’ll just keep watching the weather reports.
Stay safe, be safe, trust God,
Pastor Ray