Here's one of the reasons I'm reluctant to resume in-person worship ('cuz we ain't closed). Christian faith has never been sanitary. Eating with unwashed hands, touching things that are unclean, engaging with those who are "outside" the accepted norms of society.

One of the things that first inspired me in ministry was the way Jesus cannonballed into the blood, sweat, tears, shame, & dirt of humanity. He was willing to touch the untouchable.

I think that's why we're struggling a bit. Church isn't sanitary. It's messy. We cry on one another. We hold hands. We kiss babies. We shake hands with everyone in the room & THEN go eat something with our bare hands. Usually without worrying about sanitizing in between.

Tiny-tinies give their pastor bites of their cookies during coffee hour. We cradle faces in our hands & pour love into their eyes.

Worship is messy! Blessedly & sacredly messy. In the midst of the mess and the chaos we find community.

To think about returning to clinical, sterile worship is something I can hardly bear thinking about. Temperature checks on the way into the building?! No thanks!

Social distancing, no sacraments, no singing, no hugs, no kids wandering about? Not interested.

One of the most important things about worship is the deep humanity of it. And I struggle with the idea of returning to anything less.