Indoor Gatherings Are Back

The Short Story

COVID-19 brought with it unprecedented restrictions in every facet of life. However, few seemed as consequential as the long-term prohibition of larger in-person gatherings. For over 10 months we gathered as smaller groups outside at homes and worshiped together — never ceasing to be the church and never ceasing to continue to care for our neighbors and one another. Then, at the end of March, we transitioned to ‘All Church Outdoor Gatherings.’ It was so good to get the whole church back together in-person.

Now, with the advent of Fall (along with its cold/wet weather) and the ‘atmospheric river’ that is forecasted for Sunday, October 24, it seems the time is right to move back to meeting inside at Meadow Elementary School at 10:30 AM. With all that we know about the virus and all the measures to keep ourselves/each other safe, we believe that we’ll be able to safely meet together inside and we’re so excited to get back to our normal Gathering rhythm.

We’re asking everyone to bring and wear their mask while inside. Yes, we hate this as much as many of you. And truthfully, we don’t fully understand the logic behind the current mandates — especially in light of the high vaccination/inoculation rates. But it’s our conviction that as long as the health mandates (which carry with them the weight/authority of the law) are not asking us to sin (cf. Acts 5:29) we should follow them both to obey the Scriptures but also to be a witness to our community.

The Longer Story

We have been committed this entire time to help everyone be and feel as safe as possible. We’ve followed the leading healthcare guidelines (which, to be honest, have often been confusing and frustrating with how often they change and lack scientific clarity). We sincerely hope you know that we’ve not made any of these decisions regarding meeting in light of the virus and the subsequent health guidelines lightly. We’ve explored the Scriptures deeply (i.e. Romans 13, 14, 1 Corinthians 10, 1 Peter 2, etc.). We’ve absolutely NOT (nor would we ever) acquiesce our convictions/call towards gospel faithfulness to a government. We’ve explored ideas such as jurisdictional transgressions and jurisdictional overlap. We’ve weighed the theological implications of covering our faces, especially in the context of the gathered church. We’ve wrestled through it all.

What we arrived at was the question: Even though wearing a mask may impose upon the church’s purposes for fellowship, might the imposition here be small enough, while the cost of civil disobedience to another aspect of the church’s mission—its witness in the community—be big enough that, as a matter of weighted judgment, wisdom recommends obedience? Our answer, prayerfully, was yes it does. That doesn’t mean it always will. But for now, we believe following the “health” mandates to be the least of all the unclear options.

At the end of the day, we believe Jesus when he says the greatest commandment is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.“ We also believe that one of the great imperatives of the Christian faith is to “consider others greater than ourselves.” Being fervently committed to these very realities — even/especially in light of the ever-increasing polarization we find ourselves in — are a great way we can make known the love, mercy, and grace of Jesus.

If you want to read a further resource that we’ve found incredibly helpful, check out this article by Jonathan Leeman from 9Marks.

If you have any questions/comments/concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are so very excited to gather with you all this coming Sunday.