Good morning…
As many of you know, my husband Steve is the upper school chaplain at the Lovett School here in Atlanta, a day school which has been meeting safely, with only a few COVID hiccups, since last August. Even with these fortunate kids and teachers enjoying the benefits of in-person learning, there are many daily changes in the protocol to protect from viral spread. One thing most missed by many is the traditional lunch period, gathering in the cafeteria, hanging out with friends, talking about any random thing that pops into mind, without a mask, without worrying about keeping safe distance.
In the past, Steve would often go to two lunch periods if his schedule allowed, not for more food but to enjoy casual conversation with different groups of people. Pre-pandemic, one of the common questions I would ask most evenings was, “What did you talk about at the lunch table today?” His lively answers often sparked great conversation for the two of us.
Steve and the middle and lower school chaplains take turns writing a weekly devotional. I think Steve’s thoughts shared yesterday might help us to shift our focus from “What am I giving up for Lent this year?” to “What crucial connections might I add this Lenten season?”
******
Lovett School Devotional Message by Rev. Steve Allen, February 16th, 2021
I’ve been a churchgoer all my life. I’m not bragging. In fact, it was a little over the top when I was growing up. We went to church every Sunday and Wednesday. We went to church when we were on vacation. We’d even go to church when we were camping (dirty clothes, no showers and all). We never missed. And I’ve pretty much followed suit in my adult life. At this point it may just be muscle memory. I wake up on Sundays, get dressed and go to church. I’ve been doing it so long I don’t know what else to do on a Sunday morning. That was, until March, 2020.
With the pandemic – everything changed. The last time I set foot inside a church was March 8th and I haven’t been back since. It’s coming up on a year since I sat in on a live church service. You’d think I’d be jumping out of my skin but to be honest with you it’s been kind of nice. I’ve gotten pretty comfortable with it. I’ve discovered the wonder of waking up a little later – having a cup of coffee and then lying on my couch and turning on whatever virtual church service happens to float my boat that day. I’ve even missed virtual church a few times (I know it’s scandalous). But I have to tell you it’s actually been kind of fantastic.
And yet in reading this week’s lectionary texts I came across the story of Elijah and Elisha. In 2 Kings chapter 2:1-12, Elijah and Elisha are walking along together and every time Elijah tells Elisha he doesn’t have to stay with him Elisha says the following “as the Lord lives…I will not leave you. So the two of them went on together.” Three times Elijah tried to tell Elisha he was OK to go it alone and each time Elisha says “…I will not leave you.” When I read this text it reminds me of the power of doing something together.
Over the past year I fear we’ve lost much more than the habit of going to church – I fear that we’ve lost what Elijah and Elisha had – the power of two; the importance of doing something in community. The isolation is nice at times; watching church on my couch alone with a cup of coffee has some perks. But I worry that I’m getting lulled into complacency; that this isolation is doing more damage than good. Whether it’s lunchtime in the faculty/staff dining room or church on Sundays we have lost the power of being with others. The Bible tells us “wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). According to the Bible it’s when we gather with others that God is more likely to show up rather than when we try to go it alone. Coffee on my couch is nice but I’m missing the sacredness of being with other people.
We can’t yet return unmasked to the Lovett dining room or to our churches, talking, laughing, hanging out with friends freely, but we can be intentional about finding ways to be in community with others; we can and we must. As Elisha shows us in today’s text – the power of two is better than one trying to go it alone. I encourage us all to pick up our phones – make play dates – have coffee – schedule lunches – gather in small groups – talk about the mundane – talk about the sacred. We must force ourselves to get off our couches – with the knowledge that we’re more likely to experience God’s presence when we’re in the presence of two rather than an isolated one.
As we prepare to enter the season of Lent perhaps a commitment we might make this year is not so much to give something up but rather to commit ourselves to rediscovering the power of two.
******
Jesus says: “What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there” (Matthew 18:19-20, MSG).
This Ash Wednesday morn, let’s consider with Steve: “Intentionally tapping into the power of two, who might I regularly connect with during this unique Lenten season?”
…Sue…
P.S. If you feel drawn to get off your own couch and come to Northside Church for our 6:00 pm Ash Wednesday service tonight, please Register here. Our 2021 Lenten devotional is also available for free—first come, first served—available in the Narthex and at the Welcome Desk or touch here to Sign up to receive the daily email version.
