Some that know me will read this and say, a normal day in the life of Pete. COVID-19 has affected people in so many ways. For me, COVID-19 has represented a period of time, March to the present at this point. If I were to write a book, this would be the chapter that most would describe as downright crazy. I would like to think that we are on the downhill portion of this journey. As you think about this moment in time, what will you remember? I sincerely believe that many good things will come from this. There will need to be a time of healing and recovery, and we will need to help one another get back to a place of stability and comfort.
Closing the church building meant we had to come up with a way to meet without an in-person gathering. Our goal in this has been to be good community partners, whether in our service to the community or in the actions taken to prevent the spread of the virus. I am thankful for the talented people God has placed around me, especially allowing my son to serve alongside of me. One of the ways we have continued to serve our community is through our curbside community dinner. Every second and fourth Monday, our folks prepare a hot meal, and the Chesterfield Food Bank supplies us with groceries. This has been an amazing piece of our four-pronged ministry in the midst of COVID-19.
You might remember that after the churches had been closed, thieves came to our church and stole the catalytic converters off of our church vans. I wanted to give you an update on this piece. Police have apprehended the suspects, who are presently awaiting trial. You might also recall that this crime occurred in the light of day on a bright, sunny day. I will simply say that God took care of this in tremendous ways.
As if having our catalytic converters stolen was not enough, someone decided to steal my identity. The first indication was when I received a bank statement from a bank with which I had no account. Other than calling the bank and telling them that we did not open that account, I really did not realize that I had a problem. It was after the second bank called – and the lady was very knowledgeable about identity theft –that I realized that I had a significant problem. After many hurdles and hoops to jump through, I feel as if I have gotten my head back above water on this one. This is one of the bad things that has come from certain people staying at home with nothing better to do. I have put into place many different protections, some that are costly but necessary.
As I said, serving as a pastor has been quite different. I did a baptism on Easter, in an empty church building, with the mother of the person being baptized being the only ones in attendance. I have performed two weddings, both of which were very nice, but not the ceremonies that the couples had originally planned. One of the couples hopes to do the ceremony that they had originally planned in May at the end of August. I have also performed one funeral during this time.
Now we are preparing to open the church building. The governor has allowed the church buildings to be reopened at 50 percent capacity, with social distancing in place. I heard this morning, on one of the many Zoom meetings in which I have taken part, that reopening the church is going to be more challenging than the immediate closing of the church building. I definitely agree with that statement. Although I continue to be amazed at the creativity of gifted people in figuring this out. Again, our goal is to begin in-person gatherings while providing the safest environment for people to do so. The church’s three ways of meeting will become a three-way transition on the worship piece. We hope to offer an in-person gathering drive-in and online worship. I will let you know how that goes.
We still have a ways to go in this once-in-a-lifetime journey. None of us know what the future holds, but I am hopeful and optimistic as we come out the other side. I am thankful that the Lord has promised to never leave us nor forsake us, that He will be with us wherever we go. Seminaries did not teach this class during my time. I worked through many different outbreaks as a firefighter, but this one has been different in many different ways. I pray that folks will realize that Jesus is our hope in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.
