Cathy Boldeau talks to Tina Brooks about congregational music in a virtual & hybrid church Singing, As A Part Of Religious Service, Is As Much An Act Of Worship As Is Prayer. We Are Finally Emerging From This Pandemic, And Although The Virus Is Still Around, We Can Gather In Worship Spaces And Sing Together. And As We Offer Our Songs Of Worship And Praise, Let Us Remember Who Is At The Heart Of Our Worship.

We Are Now In 2022. Churches Have Reopened, And In-Person Worship Has Resumed. Most Of Those Who Used To Go To Church Pre-Lockdown(S) Have Come Back To Church Because They Missed The Fellowship, The Feeling Of Joining With Others And Being United By A Common Purpose, The Joy Of Worshipping Together With Others Under The Same Roof, The Collective Singing, The Hugs, And Kisses, Or Simply Shaking Someone’s Hand And Greeting Them. The Greek Word For Church, Ekklēsia, Refers To A Called-Out Assembly Or Congregation Of People, So The Church Is Meant To Be About Coming Together.

Light Is A Blessing, A Universal Blessing, Pouring Forth Its Treasures On A World Unthankful, Unholy, Demoralized. So It Is With The Light Of The Sun Of Righteousness. The Whole Earth, Wrapped As It Is In The Darkness Of Sin, And Sorrow, And Pain, Is To Be Lighted With The Knowledge Of God’s Love. From No Sect, Rank, Or Class Of People Is The Light Shining From Heaven’s Throne To Be Excluded.

The Bible Contains Numerous Illustrations Of Demanding, Even Impossible, Circumstances That Were Overcome “Not By Power Or By Might But By The Spirit Of God” In Conjunction With That Minimal Faith We Must Possess To Move The Mountains. Now The Challenge Is Upon Us To Move This Mountain Of Isolation, Anxiety, Convenience, And Apathy And Make Room For A New, Non-Filtered Experience.

I Believe That In Unprecedented Times, We May Need To Change The Paradigm Of How We Can Make An Impact. But That Requires Bold Faith. That Is To Step Out Into The Unknown And Face The Challenges Associated With Trying Something Different For The Sake Of The Gospel. Those Are Strong Words, But What Might That Look Like In Practice?

I Connected With Complete Strangers (Except One) Through The Setup Of An Impromptu Bible Study Group. We Grew Friendships, We Journeyed Together, And It Transformed My Life. It Became My Lockdown Lifetime. God Blessed The Group With A Spirit Of Freshness, New Content, New Discussions, New Perspectives, And New Experiences. I Now Live In A Place Of Abundance And Joy Because Of My Knowledge. That Was My Game Changer, And I Cannot Revert. I Am Now Truly Living.

The Challenges We Have Been Struggling With Concerning Active Participation Can Poignantly Remind Us Of Our Need To Rely On The Lord For Strength. We Too Often Forget That It Is Not About Might, Nor Power (Nor Numbers Of People In The Pew), But By The Spirit Of The Lord That We Shall Overcome Whatever Challenges Are Facing Us, Whether Corporately Or Individually (Zechariah 4:6).

There Seems To Be A General Apathy Among Some To Return To Church. Those Who Are Apathetic Have Been Critical Of Church Services And Have Made Excuses For Non-Attendance. However, As Members Of Any Local Church, We Should Not Simply Be Consumers. We Are To Offer Ideas And Be Willing To Participate In Making Our Local Church Services Of Great Value That Our Members And Young People Would Want To Be A Part Of.

In A Recent Christmas Message, Her Majesty The Queen Said, “For Me, The Life Of Jesus Christ, The Prince Of Peace… Is An Inspiration And An Anchor In My Life. A Role Model Of Reconciliation And Forgiveness, He Stretched Out His Hands In Love, Acceptance, And Healing. Christ’s Example Has Taught Me To Respect And Value People Of Whatever Faith Or None.”