Church was at the foundation of our upbringing.
Our hardworking, reed thin grandfather with piercing gray eyes and cappuccino-colored skin, was a born-again, sanctified, bible-carrying Pentecostal minister with a stunning testimony.
If any of you out there are unfamiliar with growing up in a Pentecostal household, suffice it to say our every movement was somehow influenced by the church. For certain it was a strict, religious upbringing, reinforced with hard-to-sustained rules. But there was also much comfort and love in those rules.
As an adult woman, my upbringing take-away is an abiding faith in God. I am still surprised and humbled in the face of grace. I believe in redemption, care and kindness. And I have an unquenchable love of gospel music.
Also, as an adult woman, I do not have a home church, nor a habit of Sunday service. I have not attended church regularly since childhood.
COVID, brought with it frightening restrictions, as it gobbled up lives and changed everything overnight. In this crazy COVID environment, I thought about my childhood often, sitting next to my sisters and rubbing shoulders with my mother on a wooden church pew. Daily, during the pandemic, I listened to and cried to gospel music. These memories and music gave me comfort when I was anxious and rest when sleep would not come.
I talked to my good friend Ardra and sister Beth so they could weigh in on their COVID church experience.
Beth, of course, shares my upbringing. But as an adult woman, she stayed close to the church. Not as close as we did as kids, but she routinely went to Sunday service and still faithfully pays her tithes.
My friend Ardra had no religious upbringing as a child. In Texas, there is a saying that goes, “I wasn’t born in Texas, but got here as fast as I could.” For Ardra, she started going to church as fast as she could. I can’t remember the story of what stirred her interest in walking a faith-based path, but she lives her life and raised her children with a knowledge and a relationship with Christ.
So, for Beth and Ardra, their religious backgrounds are different, but their COVID story has some striking similarities. Since COVID, both Beth and Ardra are working on regaining their commitment to their church. The virus did not strip them of their faith, but it certainly had an impact on their church-going routine.
Because of the virus, Ardra’s church went totally virtual, while Beth’s church tried several approaches, including “church in the parking lot.” Neither approach worked for Beth and Ardra.
During our talks both Beth and Ardra shared that their faith is solid. But as the pandemic eases and restrictions lessen, what sits on shaky ground for them is returning to regular church services. Neither seems to be running back to the routine of going to church.
And this is not just the case with Ardra and Beth. Statistically, church attendance is down since the pandemic.
What are your thoughts? Did COVID change Church for you and your family? Do you think parishioners will once again fill the pews, ready to worship and fellowship? Or do you think like almost everything COVID-related, even church, post-pandemic, will look and feel different?
Tell us in the comments.
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