Pastor's Pen - August 2020

Right when we were starting to think we open the Sanctuary for worship, houses of worship have been shut down again. It is looking like we’re in this for the long haul. That is disappointing news. Of course, we want to come back to church, enjoy one another’s company and worship in the ways that have fed our spiritual lives for years. At least for a while though, that’s not meant to be.

My sense of call to this interim ministry is strong. I’m very clear about one thing: we are going to make the most of this moment. I don’t need to tell you, these are stressful times. Every one of us needs the spiritual support we receive from this congregation. Every one of us needs the friendships we have developed. Every one of us needs the opportunities to serve that RPF has offered us. During these uncertain times one thing is clear to me: we do NOT need “Church Lite,” we need the real thing and together we are going to make that happen. No doubt that will require flexibility and a willingness to change. It will require cooperation for sure, but the truth is, RPF is better positioned than most to reshape congregational ministry. We have committed leadership willing to do what is needed to bring this ministry to a new moment of vitality and life. We have the financial resources to make this shift, and we start with a healthy congregation, one that has established strong bonds these past 30 years.

In the August issue of Rockville Word you will read details about the moves we are making to ensure Rockville remains a vital ministry during COVID times. I’ll mention a couple of those in this letter. As we embark on this new phase of ministry, please know that your congregation needs your participation to make this happen.

Call Me; We’ll Find a Way to Get You Online

That is why we want to make sure that every single one of you is able to participate in the programs of the church by connecting to us online. I know that some of our members find technology difficult. I understand that. But if you want to be a part of Rockville Fellowship, if you want to participate during these strange times, we will move heaven and earth to make that happen. All you have to do is tell us you want to connect. You can call the church office, or you can call me (415) 302-0677. We will find a way to make it happen!! If all else fails, you can attend the worship service, live on the telephone!

We Are Working Hard to Make Online Worship a Moving Experience.

 It’s possible that some of you tried Zoom worship early on in this crisis and decided it wasn’t good enough. Let me make a suggestion: come back now and see how we’re doing. We’ve made giant strides towards making our online service a genuine worship experience. It’s not perfect yet, but we’re getting there. The most difficult part of that has been figuring out what to do about music. No one, and I mean no one, has found a way to do congregational singing online. The technology that can do that has not yet been built. On top of that when we do come back to worship in the Sanctuary we won’t be able to sing! We are needing to find other ways to bring music into the worship service. But we don’t want just any old music. What we’re looking for is music that has a kind of resonance with the music we’ve always had in the Sanctuary. We are going to get there!! (Do you like to sing? Are you semi-tech savvy? Maybe you’d like to be part of a virtual choir.) The reality is that Zoom worship is going to be with us a long time. Even when we are permitted to open the sanctuary many, a majority even, still will not feel safe coming to worship in the Sanctuary. Therefore, Zoom worship will continue even when the Sanctuary opens. We will integrate the Zoom worship and the live worship experience.

We’ll all be in it together!! Fellowship is Our Strength; No Reason to Back Off Now!

Believe it or not fellowship has, in some ways, improved during our Zoom time together. Instead of being splintered into small groups of 3 or 4 during coffee hour, everyone is together at the end of the service. There is a palpable sense of unity during that time. It’s why I think RPF has what it takes to not just survive these times, but to thrive during them as well. That said, online gatherings are not the only times we can be together. There are ways for us to have safe, outdoor, fellowship events and we will. One is being planned for the afternoon of August 9. It will be a socially distant “Meet the New Pastor” party. I'm looking forward to it. There will be other gatherings as well – all of them socially distant, outside, masks, BYOWhatever :-).

All that to say that the COVID-19 virus will not bring us down. This ministry is alive and well. It needs every one of us to help it thrive. God is on the move now. I can feel it. How about you?

Grace and peace,

Pastor Sam