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Holy Week and the Corona Virus - The No-Dinner Dinner

With our shelter-at-home, social (physical) distancing that is happening right now, we are unable to gather in our churches to have the procession of the Palms, often lead by our children and youth. This is the high church moment, where many churches will have 3, 4, 5, or more worship services as Christians go through the story of Holy Week: Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Great Easter Vigil on Saturday, Sunrise Service, and Easter Service. But this year we cannot gather in our church buildings, sanctuaries, and places of worship to sit beside each other and worship.

On the show "Everyone Loves Raymond", one episode had his wife Deborah trying a No-Dinner Dinner Fundraiser. Where you would just make a donation to the school, but there was nothing to prepare, no volunteer work to be done, and you didn't have to show up for the meal, the 'speaker' or 'entertainment'. People kept pestering her if fish, chicken, or steak was going to be served and she would try to explain that there was no meal. Made for some pure comedy gold.

The vast majority of the churches are heeding the warning that we cannot gather to worship this week or for a few weeks to come. This is making many pastors and church leaders become experts on live streaming, recording and editing video, and a whole host of challenges for the church to share worship, the good news, and the story of Jesus' triumphal entry, the Last Supper, betrayal, death, and resurrection.

Could we call this the No-Worship Worship? Jesus does tell us that where 2 or 3 are gathered in his name, he is there. Besides maybe the pastor, the musician, and the media person in the sanctuary, that is as good as its going to get. But we worship not just in flesh, we also worship in Spirit. Though we maybe spread out over our community or town, maybe even miles (hundreds) apart as families can't gather with the grandparents for the Easter Dinner afterward, we are still connected because we worship the God of the Universe. God holds us in the palm the of hand, in God's heart, and binds us together with the Spirit.

As the Rev. Emily C. Heath wrote:

The first Easter didn't happen at a church. It happened outside of an empty tomb, while all the disciples where sequestered at home, grief-stricken, and wondering what was going on. So, we're all going to keep things pretty Biblical this year #Easter.

Whether we gather together in our homes just reading story, online with our faith community, or in solitude and silence, we are part of the body of Christ, children of God, and united in God's love with each other and all of creation. We live through strife and trying times, challenges and changes, but we don't despair because we have hope, we have resurrection, and we have Christ who is with us.

Peace
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Location: Aberdeen, SD 57401, USA

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