When closures were announced on March 13, 2020, church was among them. There have been so many inspired things leading up to this including a home-based Sunday School curriculum “Come Follow Me” last year. I remember thinking, “This is awesome…but it’s not like we’ll ever have to have church at home. It’s not like we live in some war-torn country or something.”
Enter: 2020. And we’re getting ravaged with pandemics, wildfires, earthquakes, you name it.
Overall, holding Sacrament in our home has been edifying and uplifting. Some weeks are better than others but I really miss the fellowship with everyone and have honestly been a bit frustrated over the lack of contact from the kids’ leaders at church. I feel like we’ve been in a silo for months so it was nice when they announced they were slowly and cautiously resuming church depending upon our area.
Things I want to remember about returning to church for the first time since March:
- Held in 3 different 45-minutes sessions to keep numbers under 100.
- Sanitization between meetings,
- Most everyone was wearing masks, (I wish everyone who was able could have done it).
- We were seated every-other-row for social distancing and for a walkway to pass the Sacrament.
- Deacons used sanitizer before passing the Sacrament (it was strange seeing Bode passing in a mask) and no one else touched the trays. There was a tray for the Sacrament cups and a separate one for disposing of them.
- No hymn books and singing was muted with all the masks and smaller numbers.
It all felt so stilted and strange….
Except it wasn’t.
One of our favorites Kaden Webb was called to serve in the Santiago, Chile East mission and he gave a powerful talk about his home MTC experience and how people are turning their hearts to God without ever having stepped into a church building. How this time of uncertainty is also an opportunity for seeking..and answers.
And I loved the story Steven L Nichols shared about recording a football game to watch later but he inadvertently found out the score. Knowing his team won, he decided to watch the game anyway. What he didn’t know was there was a lot of drama. Comebacks. Highs and lows. When he’d start to get stressed out, he would remind himself, “You know how it all ends. It will all be OK.”
And so it is now. I am so glad to have been given that reminder today.
“I love you, dear brothers and sisters, and assure you that wonderful days are ahead.” President Russell M. Nelson.
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 