April 1, 2021
Stay here and keep watch with me; the hour has come
Stay here and keep watch with me; watch and pray...
(cf. Matthew 26:36 ff.)
"It starts." (Rafiki, The Lion King)
Welcome, God and All...
As spring's coming has breathed some new life into Planet Mother Earth, and the pace of vaccination for COVID-19 has stepped up, we have come upon the sacred days of the Passover and its twin, the Triduum (three days) of the Lord's Passion, Death and Resurrection.
I'm hearing something of a relative paradox. Here in my corner of the Kingdom on Earth, churches are reopening; some for the first time in a year. And their leaders are worried, because the metrics on which they decided they could safely reopen - their open window of opportunity - could just as easily slam shut as those metrics are again trending in the wrong direction.
If I understand correctly, two main reasons for this latest disturbing concern stem from a) under thirty-somethings throwing caution to the wind and heading to the Florida and Texas (and probably California) beaches to 'celebrate' winter's end; coupled with b) the aforementioned and half of the rest of us ignoring the mandates to wear face masks and stay six feet away from each other. This issue especially is controversial and has been from the beginning as many do not believe the mandates are needed - and where they are in place, don't have any legal standing behind them.
In short, we are battling ourselves and have yet to understand that as much as this virus mutates, so we must also change our behavior - radically, so it seems - to even stand a chance of containing it.
I also learned this week (it's amazing that these studies and poll results are so perfectly timed) that a Gallup poll has indicated that less than half of the American populace have membership in a church. This is not related to COVID-19; the trend has been heading downward for a long time now. Nearly 75 years ago that number was somewhere around 75 percent.
To hear that actual attendance is trending upward at the moment understates the facts that in January attendance was awfully low in those places that were open, and of course zero in churches, mosques, and synagogues that weren't. Plus, I must remember that we're under capacity restrictions. The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in our nation's capital has a seating capacity of ten thousand people; yet they're only allowed to admit 250 at present for any given service. One of my spiritual "brothers" recently made the observation that 90 percent of attendees at Mass lately have grey hair. (And the other ten percent have no hair, so I observe.)
Still, it is good to be able to start - somewhere - and I am thankful to God to be allowed the privilege, as it were, to do this year what I could not last year; even if it's only a fraction of what I was doing two years ago in any single place.
I must also confess something. As a church musician whose livelihood was affected for a time by the onset of the pandemic, I looked wherever I could to stay active. It stems from part of my life's story, detailed elsewhere in these pages, as to the how and why I became a "wandering minstrel" for Christ. The long and the short of it is (and timing is indeed a blessing considered here) that God has granted me the grace to sing his praises in multiple congregations once more. With the continuing approach to using cyberspace and broadcast communication, the effort continues to reach out to many who might not hear the word of God or the prayerful inspiration of the ministers involved.
In my youth I fantasized that I would one day be recognized on public media like TV and radio. I realize that God allowed this into my life in His own way. I have stumbled through this many times. I am thankful that He, the risen Jesus, still raises me up.
Know that the resurrected Lord is still in control here. I don't think I need to go back and recap the story today. I'm not sure there are many people with the patience to listen, even though they should. Go and worship Him with all your being. Attend a service at a house of worship if you can and are able. Take advantage of opportunities that are provided by the media, even if they're not widely publicized (as in ask, and you shall receive). Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Make it loud enough for all around to hear. We can - with God's help - reverse the disturbing trends that plague our time, by turning to the One who turned the world upside down, yet still holds it - lovingly - in His hands.
Until we meet again, know that the risen Lord died for you so that he could be with you...and pray that He continues to have mercy on us all...
+the Phoenix
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