Merging is a New Journey - Adapting to Different Worship

When the pandemic started, and everyone moved from in-person worship to varying forms of non-in-person worship (Facebook Live, YouTube, Zoom, conference calls, or a combination) people eventually figured out how best for their own space how to do things.  For those of us who were also working remotely, some of these same skills translated to our own jobs.

I always felt like I was behind the curve in this because while so many people had their own computer set ups for both work and worship, I sit in my room with a laptop sometimes struggling to do what I was able to do somewhere else.

But mostly, struggling to get my dog to cooperate with me.

FINALLY Calm Sparkle

My dog, Sparkle, apparently sleeps most of the day away while I am at work.  When I was working from home she mostly does the same thing, but since she was always next to me she figured she would get more attention to go out to play for awhile and then eventually settle back down again.

However, we have had quite the struggle on church days.

She likes to wake me at my usual work time, which is not always helpful because I can sleep in a bit on Sundays when I am not doing something in service.  And I take her out.

So all would seem good, right?  She goes out.  We come back to my room.  She settles down and sleeps.

That is until her impeccable timing of wanting attention and to go out just as the prelude starts.

Literally. Every. Time.

So, I have been working at trying to find ways to adapt to her...predictability.

After months of this, I finally got it down, as you could see.  At least for one week.

It required me taking her out exactly 15 minutes before service was supposed to start.  Then giving her a bunch of treats and a toy to lick and to stretch my leg out so she knew I was there with her.  And there she stayed until I had to get up to move my car in the middle of my State of the Church recording.

But, how many of us during this pandemic had to adjust and adapt to new ways of worshiping?  I suspect most of us.  Sure, some pastors were already sharing their sermons or services online before all this, but never because that was the only way their people would be able to experience church.

As a congregation merging with another congregation, we too had our own adapting that we had to do.  In this case, it happened mid-pandemic so we were all adapting, those already part of PUMC and those new to the congregation, all at the same time.  So that may have made things a little easier.  Though, to be fair, we had our way of worship changed numerous times over the past few years, we were kind of used to it.

But adapting to new ways of worshiping is a good thing.  It broadens our horizons and expands our knowledge of how we can worship God.  Maybe one church focuses more on scripture or another focuses more on liturgy and another focuses on music.  What matters most, though, is that God is in the center.

So, while I am still struggling at times to manage my excitable dog when I am trying to focus on worship, I just have to keep working to adapt for what fits us best while I sit at home to worship.