This is part of a series of writings. Part One can be heard in the worship broadcast from Sunday, January 21. 


About a year ago I heard a set of sermons by Rev. Shannon Kershner (the contemporary preacher I quote most) that pondered the nature of the church. We call this ecclesiology. A number of sermons and newsletter writings this month are inspired by her words and leadership.


At the time of her writing, our congregation and hers were just beginning to let go of the last masking requirements in church. At the time, as we emerged from our homes and saw the sparsely filled pews, her congregation and ours wondered, how has the pandemic changed us? Who is left? Who has been found?


The pandemic posed the question, ‘why church?’ in a forceful way. It upended most everything, holding no prisoners of rhythm or tradition. Many across the country became disengaged with church life. Every faith community did what they could to adapt in what was an impossible time.


Then, vaccines developed. We learned how to be safer. We began to gather again in person.


But like Jacob after his midnight wrestling with God, we did not leave that struggle how we came. Call it a limp or mark or something else; we are different, and we have some questions to wonder.


Faith communities like ours can no longer rely upon decades of momentum to thrive. Throughout every shift of the pandemic, whether consciously or not, every person in every faith community has been faced with the question, ‘why church?’


And every person in our pews and classrooms today or who participate with us online has answered that question in some way that translates to, “yes, church.”


On this side of the pandemic’s worst, each of us has fresh (re)commitment as we seek to be church together. We are church together with those who are newer to First Church, folks who have reengaged, and folks who never stopped doing connecting with this community day in and day out. We celebrate those who have stayed firm, those who have been found, and those who have found us.


As I shared on Sunday, it’s time to dig into the stories of that commitment.


So why did you choose to come, or to come back? What was it like when you did? When the church doors closed and the regular activities were wiped from your calendar, it could have been a convenient time to bid church goodbye; to disengage. You could have said no when the church called for help. You could have said no when the church invited your participation. You could have ignored the nudge to find a new faith community. But here you are, reading a Thursday church newsletter or on a church website, wondering about the life of the church with us.


It may be that you don’t have the words to answer these questions yet. It may also be that the answer you want hasn’t been made reality yet.


But if you can, I’d love to hear the story from you: why church?


Rev. Karyn

Senior Pastor