Post-COVID Freedom; Galatians 4:1-7

 

Rev. George Miller

May 23, 2021

Galatians 4:1-7

 

Change- That may be the scariest word in the world, or at least in the world of our religion, which is surprising since the Bible is a collection of stories that involve change.

 

Darkness into light.

 

Barren couple into parents.

 

Incarcerated sons into king’s assistants.

 

The Bible is full of change after change.

 

Slaves into free.

 

Water into wine.

 

The Holy Spirit falling upon people so they can communicate in new ways.

 

Yet, as humans, as members of faith, we can be uncomfortable with change. 

 

We like ritual.  We prefer routine.  We feel most comfortable with status quo.

 

Want to ensure people will squirm in their seats during a meeting- suggest a change to worship, a change to furniture, a new way to do something that’s always been done “that way.”

 

This is part of what made COVID so complicated- the changes it created. 

 

COVID created change to how we interact, where we go, how and when we worship, what we wear.

 

But at least we had months of preparation, seeing the Corona come in like a slowly moving storm.

 

We of Highlands County had chance to be in a bubble for a few weeks longer than most of the country.  We had some time to wrap around the idea of masks, no choir, and no coffee hour hugs.

 

But then like “that!” our whole world has changed when the CDC suddenly said “Masks can come off!”

 

But with caveats- only if you are fully vaccinated, as long as you’re not in prison, a subway car.

 

It’s a confusing message that has come all too soon for businesses and churches to fully process and come up with a satisfying plan,

 

It’s also done something else- it has brought rapid change into the church community, causing a mix of feelings.

 

There are those who are like “Great!  I can’t wait to take this thing off!”

 

There are others saying “I’m not sure I feel completely safe being unmasked.”

 

There are many people who can’t wait to go back to potlucks, choir practice, and having numerous events.

 

The there are those, who truthfully, don’t ever want to go back to the ways things were.

 

We have introverts who enjoyed their time alone and away.  People who liked not having to go to gatherings or visit people’s homes or fly crammed in a plane like a sardine.

 

For those who have eased into the simpler, more solitary side of COVID, the idea of hugging, shaking hands with people they don’t know, eating food prepared by someone you don’t know at their home in which you don’t now how many cats, dogs, or cleaning supplies they have?

 

No uh.

 

Change.

 

With the lifting of mask restrictions we have now gone through another change.

 

Here’s something to share- we have all endured a year of trauma.  We have all experienced feelings of grief and sadness about what has been lost.

 

BUT, in order for us to endure the trauma and the grief, our psyches have found a way to numb ourselves to the level of pain and sadness we felt.

 

But now that the appearance of a threat is over, our bodies, minds, spirits are going to experience the trauma, experience the grief, experience the loss, the sadness, in a whole new way.

 

It’s like when a loved one dies and you’re so busy getting everything in order that it’s usually not until after the funeral that we get hit with stealth grief and sorrow.

 

We share this because this is going to happen to folk to some of our folk, even if we ourselves do not believe it.

 

Some may already be experiencing it.

 

It’s impossible for a nation to endure a year of trauma and loss without there being long term after affects that linger, like blue roofs after a hurricane...

 

So today, with this being Pentecost Sunday, we acknowledge that our community has gone through change.

 

On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down and freed people to function and communicated in a new way.

 

Now that the CDC has given the go-ahead for vaccinated folk to go mask-free, we have folk who can function and communicate in a new way.

 

How we navigate this as a church is so important.

 

One way we navigate these next few weeks, is to know that we are experienced a major change, and to allow people to adapt as they feel most comfortable.

 

Those are basically the issues Paul dealt with in his letter to the Galatians.

 

Paul wonders- due to the death and resurrection of Christ, how do we adapt, change, and live into this new reality?

 

Furthermore, how do we form and continue our faith when each person is wanting to do things differently?

 

In Paul’s time there were those who wanted everyone to be circumcised, while there were others who said “let them stay a nautral.”

 

In Paul’s time there were those who wanted to eat kosher while there were others jonesing for pork chops from Iowa.

 

In Paul’s time there were those who preferred everyone to keep to the prescribed health codes that was in the Law, while others said “I’m an adult, I’ll decide what I do with my body.”

 

What does Paul do?  He uses his words, he reminds them of their history, he points to what Jesus did on the cross and what God did in the tomb.

 

Paul says “Because of Christ, there is no longer slave or free, male or female.”

 

Today Paul might say “In Christ there is no masked or unmasked.”

 

What Paul does do is this- he says that because of Christ, we have all been included into the family of God and we have all become inheritors of God’s kingdom and glory.

 

In Christ we are all one family; in Christ we all have the same reward.

 

What this boils down to is this- Do you, and let them do them.

 

As long as what is done is just and kind and including God.

 

Sisters and Brothers, what this means, as a church, moving forward is this-

 

We have experienced a major change.

 

If you have been fully vaccinated, feel free to go mask free.

 

If you have not been fully vaccinated, we encourage you, for your safety, to wear a mask while here.

 

If you come to the office and Ruthie asks that you put on a mask, for her sake, please put one on.

 

If someone declines to attend or volunteer at an event because they are not yet ready to resume life-as, allow them that space and that choice.

 

If you know you’re not fully vaccinated, refrain from hugging on, kissing on, holding onto others.

 

Why?  Because we love you and we want to keep you alive.

 

Council is continuing to follow the guidance of the science and the CDC.

 

We will continue to discuss the resuming of fellowship, of outside groups, of activities, of a choir, a bell choir, fundraisers, groups, outreach.

 

But know this-  Whatever we do will look different.

 

Things we do may never be 100% like what they were.  There are faces we may see at worship, but may no longer see at every event, or Fellowship.

 

There are changes that came along due to COVID that we’ll most likely keep. 

 

As a living breathing church, we will continue to evolve, continue to adapt, continue to change.

 

Because that’s what it means to be a child of God, that’s what it means to be part of the Living Body of Christ.

 

Change is what it means to be alive.

 

Change is what it means to be filled with and a witness to the Holy Spirit as it continues to descend upon us.

    Amen and amen.