I sometimes pray to God this simple question “What’s going on?” Which is also a bit of a misnomer at a moment like this: What isn’t going on?
Prayers continue for the people of Afghanistan and those who are being evacuated. For Haiti, dealing with multiple disasters again. And for those in the path of Ida, especially the people of New Orleans who are suffering mightily.
With the Delta Variant of COVID-19 straining our hospitals and putting a new sense of distress in the hearts of the faithful locally, it continues to be a time in which I must give the eternally unpopular word that we must continue to watch and wait and prepare. That as much as returning to normal is as much buzzword as it is a genuine hope, it is also neither possible nor prudent.
The better cause is to think about adaptation. So we continue to adapt to our moment.
At St. Stephen’s this will mean
- a new virtual Newcomers class and Scripture Conversation on Tuesday nights.
- our middle and high schoolers joining High Point, a joint youth group
- our K*I*D*S Worship resuming in September
- Holypalooza and UCM Barbecue on September 12.
Each of these are exciting pieces that I think will bring new joy and faith-filled opportunities for us. And each will come to us as something newish. Not entirely new. And yet, not what we’ve always done. Something very much for this moment.