Many are calling churches and other faith communities essential to the functioning of our society. We absolutely agree. And nothing public health officials are doing is keeping us from serving our essential functions. In fact, they are giving us valuable guidance on how to do so.
Churches and other faith communities are essential insofar as we actively love absolutely everyone, care particularly for the most vulnerable and serve the common good. In our own tradition as followers of Jesus, that is expressed in the great commandment to love God, neighbor and self, to care for the most vulnerable as they are Christ, and to overturn tables of injustice – particularly when we find them in the church.
It is the sacred duty of churches to stay open for these essential purposes. And at no time during this pandemic have we been prevented from doing so.
In our case as All Saints Church, we have opened the exterior areas of our campus to those who have no home to shelter safely in, working with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to move them into housing. We have hosted Red Cross blood drives to bolster our city’s dwindling blood supply. We have continued our feeding programs outside following all public health guidelines.
We have cared for our own parish community with greater intention and depth than ever. We have gathered for worship virtually, conscious of reaching out to those who are on the wrong side of the digital divide. We have helped keep Learning Works staff fed and their food pantry stocked and assisted with those starting a food delivery service specializing in serving undocumented workers and their families.
That’s just us. Many, many other churches and faith communities are doing things like these and even more. What we are not doing is gathering in ways that epidemiologists and public health officials tell us puts people’s lives … particularly those who are most vulnerable … in grave danger.
Do we miss gathering in our worship space as an entire community? Absolutely! We share the pain of those who want to pour into their worship spaces. We long for being together in that way. And … prioritizing our desires over the safety of the community is not love. It’s self-centeredness … and it’s deadly.
God does not demand we gather for worship. God’s demand … God’s longing … God’s dream for us is to love and serve with compassion and joy. That is true worship. And it’s laid out pretty clearly in scripture. In Amos, when God says:
“I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies… Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
And in Isaiah, when the prophet says:
“Is this not the fast that I choose; to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of God shall be your rearguard. Then you shall call and God will answer. You shall cry for help and God will say, ‘Here I am.’”
We will not be gathering for assemblies that put lives in danger and give no delight to God. We will continue to serve our essential purpose of love as best we can, because that is how we honor God. We are grateful for the many faith communities who are living likewise … and we urge all faith communities to do the same.
Faithfully,
The Reverend Mike Kinman
Rector, All Saints Church (Episcopal)
Pasadena, CA
