Going Back

We can know that when the Lord is involved, there is always something to look forward to - He brings hope into the life of the believer and that can produce joy deep within. Psalm 62 relates these words to us:
5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.
7 In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.

These have been trying and challenging days for many people.  And, there has been enormous strain on the Church, the body of Christ, attempting to navigate a new paradigm, attempting to be faithful to present God's Word and to try to keep people connected amidst isolation.  Things seem to be improving, and we can follow the Lord's direction as He establishes us in a new place in the aftermath of trial - that's a cycle that we can see in each of our lives, and we can trust that He is at work.

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Proverbs 23 deals with the subject of expectation and reminds us that we can be hopeful about what God will do. We can read these verses:
15 My son, if your heart is wise, My heart will rejoice--indeed, I myself;
16 Yes, my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak right things.
17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day;
18 For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off.

The Church's response to the coronavirus pandemic has gone through quite a few phases: from shutdown (in most cases), to gradual reopening, then perhaps scaling back as cases spiked during the fall and early winter, now opening the doors a bit wider, and the anticipation of opening wider and wider.  Is a complete "normal" on the horizon?  Perhaps not, or at least not for a long time, it seems.

But, some encouraging news has come from a recent survey.  CBN.com reported on a LifeWay Research survey, stating:

In a recent study of 1,000 Protestant churches conducted by Nashville-based Lifeway Research, church members said when COVID-19 is no longer an active threat to people's health, 91% plan to attend in-person worship services at least as often as they did before the pandemic. This includes some 23% who plan to attend even more services than they did previously.

In fact, a very small number of regular church attenders - 6% - said they would go to church less than before. Oh, and just over 40% of young adults say they plan to come back!

Scott McConnell, Executive Director of LifeWay Research, is quoted as saying: "Two-thirds of pastors whose churches were open for in-person worship in January saw the attendance of less than 70% of their January 2020 attendance...Many of these pastors are wondering if those who haven't returned ever will. Nine in 10 churchgoers plan to when it is safe to do so."  That is quite an improvement over just a matter of months.  In January, over half of those surveyed did not attend in-person services.

And, it appears that people may be going back to the church they attended before - 87% said they remained committed to the same local church during the pandemic.  More than 4 out of 5 surveyed said they had watched a live stream of a church service at some point during the COVID crisis.

The CBN article also reported:

Most churchgoers (54%) said the events of 2020 caused them to grow closer to God, including 27% who said they became much closer. Another 39% said they stayed about the same. Far fewer (7%) said they grew more distant.

Currently, 11% of churchgoers said they are questioning their faith, while 87% disagree.

"The faith of most churchgoers remains resilient despite a year filled with much uncertainty and fewer options for meeting in person with others from church," said McConnell. "During these trying times, churchgoers were almost eight times more likely to relate to God more than less."

I think it's important to note that, even in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, God is still at work.  We have been through a collective period of darkness and isolation, yet God is stirring in His people.  We can imagine with great hope and anticipation what will happen next.  

I believe that we can agree that in the fire of adversity, God produces His fruit.  The pressure can produce a greater sense of reliance on the Lord.  Now, we can worship Him for what He has brought us and is continuing to bring us through.  What we would call "normal" is not necessarily immediate, but we can trust the Lord to show us how to respond in the future He has for us.