Who could have imagined that life could change so quickly for our world, our nation, our state, and our community? Because of the COVID-19 virus, our lives have changed. Social distancing has become a buzzword and a way of life. For a while at least, we cannot gather in large groups. Almost all large group gatherings, including church services, have been postponed or canceled. We have had to live in a new way. We have been forced to do church in a new way.

Instead of preaching to a congregation, I am preaching to a screen. Instead of gathering in person for worship, we sit in front of a screen. Instead of leading a Bible Study live with a small group, I am prerecording it for viewing later. Like you, I have been forced to do things out of my comfort zone, such as speaking to a camera or becoming a video editor.

The good news is that we follow a God who is always asking us to do things in a new way. Isaiah 43:19 says “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” God is always in the process of doing new things, but we do not always see it. God’s promise is that even in the darkest of days, in the wilderness or in the desert, God will make a way for us.

Who knows? Maybe we will slow down. Maybe we will spend more time with our family. Maybe through living and doing church in a new way, God may speak to us in ways that would not have happened if life was “normal.” Maybe someone will see and know the message of God’s love and grace online, who would never physically venture into a church. Honestly, I am still uncomfortable with this “new” way, but it is what we must do right now for the safety of our families and our community.

There is much unknown about the future. What I do know is that even while living and worshiping in a new way, God has not left us or forsaken us. And maybe, this new way of living and doing church could be God doing a new thing in our hearts and lives. Do we perceive it?

Doing Life and Church in a New Way,

Kevin Smith