FRIDAY FAVOR WOAD 05/22/20 COVID 19

RANDOM THOUGHT’S:

The new norm doesn’t feel right but it’s necessary. I grew up in the Mississippi Delta attending a small church that met on the first Sunday of the month, a Deacon or Mother of the church would lead Sunday School the rest of the Sundays each month. It was the norm, as there were far more churchs than preachers willing to take on church with very few members. I guess coming around once a month made it worth their while. Now we are accustom to the one church multiple location concept, huge congregations and with the advent of the COVID 19 pandemic the need to ensure their safety. Some of the sharpest minds in the medical field have been tasked with helping guide the reopening of our country and state. Millions have filed for unemployment benefits and many business may not survive this pandemic. The church in times of turmoil is traditionaly regarded as a safe haven but not this time. Places of worship face the same challenges as the rest of the country, especially since some have been epicenters for the spread covid 19, Dr. Jerry Young President of the National Baptist Convention has been quoted as saying that “It is not a question of faith but a question of common sense” when dealing with COVID 19. This week Governor Tate Reeves of Mississippi released a list of guidlines for places of worship, some of the highlights included using a soloist as opposed to a full choir, since the act of projecting one voice while singing puts a lot of stuff in the air. Continue to wash hands and apply sanitizer. socially distance and consider a seperate service for members with pre-existing conditions. Wear masks and gloves and look at having more services so that groups can be smaller. This will be the new norm for a while lets learn to live with it, and be safe.