Is Pastor Scott Still Real?
written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
I know the pandemic has been too long when I was told by a parent that her children asked, “Is Pastor Scott still real or is he just in the TV now?” At first, I laughed but then I felt sad. I love being the children’s pastor. I never wanted to be known only as the adult’s pastor. The children and youth are as much my congregants as the older members. I ache when I hear that I am not real to them anymore. Yet, I understand how they could ask the question. The only time they relate to me anymore is in worship on television or as a disembodied voice each night as I read them their Bedtime Bible story and share prayer.
I believe, at some level, we Christians have benefited from the isolation demanded by Covid-19. It helped us no longer take the community of faith for granted. There is no guarantee that church will always be there, it takes commitment. It also shows how important each person’s participation in worship is for the overall life of the church. It also shows us how important the community of faith is for our emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
Sometimes you may not feel you need to attend church on a particular Sunday. You may not need to be there for yourself, but you do need to be there for everyone else. The energy and overall experience of the church is so incredibly strong when the sanctuary is full of people. You also need to ask yourself each time you are missing church, am I sure I don’t need it this time? How many times have you gone to worship, with a half-hearted feeling? Then, after you got to church, you were glad you came. Finally, remember, faith is a discipline, not unlike being an athlete, and if we don’t practice our faith with discipline, our spiritual muscle becomes weak, and the voice of God becomes harder to hear.
Today, offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of our church. Then ponder the role of the church in your life. Prayerfully think about what you receive from worship, but also what your presence means to the church. Like me, if you are not regular in church, are others asking if you are “still real or is she/he just gone now?” Finally, consider what you have learned from this year’s Covid isolation. Hopefully you have learned that you are even more resilient than you thought. I pray you have also learned the spiritual and emotional value of being a vital part of the community of faith.
