After not attending indoor worship services for over a year, I re-entered this world in mid-March 2021. Over the next two months I visited 8 different congregations in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area (for more on those experiences check out Pandemic Regathering: 8 Experiences).
Earlier today I attended my first indoor service of worship outside the state of Texas since before the onset of the pandemic at Naples United Church of Christ.
Preparation
I registered for the service on the church’s website earlier this week. This user friendly experience not only allowed me to also register my parents, but also provide an option for me to make a donation to the congregation’s ministry.
Experience
Using the rubric I created for my first five experiences (see Reopening for In Person Worship) this experience erred on the side of keeping worshippers safe.
Naples UCC reopened for in person worship on Easter Sunday 2021 (April 4), utilizing a nearby venue with far greater seating than their sanctuary. Next, they transitioned back to their own sanctuary starting the following Sunday, offering two identical Sunday morning services at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m..
Worshippers were asked to agree to a covenant much like those utilized by other congregations. While a temperature was listed as an expectation, it was not utilized. Instead, the greeters at an outdoor table asked for the names of the persons in our party then told us we were welcome to sit anywhere we liked in the sanctuary excluding rows that were marked as not available to allow for social distancing. A few steps later, at the entry to the Narthex, another greeter offered us a bulletin containing both the details of the service of worship and information about upcoming activities and events.
The service started promptly at 11:00 a.m., and concluded at precisely 12:00 p.m. Congregational singing was discouraged, and hymnals were removed from the pews (notably, however, Bibles remained available in the pews). All singing was led from the chancel by the choir, organist, and pianist.
The offering was collected at strategically placed locations near the entry and exit. Following worship, ushers dismissed worshippers in an orderly fashion from back to front. Worshippers seeking to socialize were free to do so outdoors in sunny spring weather in the courtyard.
In addition to the moving musical offerings under the direction of Dr. Becky Weese, the Rev. Dr. Dawson Taylor delivered a timely and thought provoking message titled “Praying to the Congregation.”
So What?
Only days before this experience the Centers for Disease Control issued new guidance permitting fully vaccinated people to engage in a wide range of activities without being masked. I applaud Naples UCC for continuing with their previous protocols, requiring masks and social distancing while also discouraging congregational singing.
I’m curious to hear from you regarding
- Whether or not your congregation has made any changes to safety protocols in light of the new CDC guidelines or if they plan to do so in the next week. If so, what changes will occur? If not, how is the continuation of earlier protocols being communicated to your congregation?
- Have you attended worship while traveling out of state since the onset of the pandemic. If so, what was the experience like? If not, when are you likely to resume this behavior?
Disclaimer: I served on the staff of Naples UCC from 2011-2015 leading adult discipleship ministries.