Weekly worship services are as fundamental to faith as just about anything else. For the past 30 years, it’s been a staple of my life as a Christian as I’ve grown to love the weekly celebration of God, life, and others in a way that simply can’t be found anywhere else in American culture.
During this pandemic however, we’ve been scrambling a bit as we try to find a way to make church work as COVID-19 cases soar through the roof, especially here in Denver, now heading for the cold winter months that will make outdoor services impossible.
A good many American Christians believe that there’s a bit of skullduggery in the CDC’s account of things, that the numbers don’t reflect what’s actually happening. To this cross section of us, the last thing we’ll tolerate is the government telling us what to do, especially with regards to how we articulate our faith when it comes time for corporate worship.
This morning, Instead of talking about numbers, or quoting politicians, I thought it would be good to hear from the medical community here in Denver as they have a perspective and experience that few of us do. Earlier this week I contacted several friends who are practicing docs, working on the COVID front lines, by definition more qualified to talk about this than anyone else. Some of them are Christian, some are Jewish, some would consider themselves non-religious, but they are all in agreement on the following three aspects of pandemic/Christian life that we should listen to.
COVID is Real
In my opinion, hospitalization rates are the best way to check the numbers that we’re being fed. If the CDC’s case numbers go through the roof, hospitals would naturally begin to fill up. If not, we can call foul, and find some other place to get our data.
I recently took a walk with a resident friend of mine who had just come off a difficult ER rotation. “COVID is real,” he said, then expounded on the growing number of hospitalizations in his program and throughout the country. Every person I talked to this week is alarmed at the sheer numbers of people who are being admitted, COVID positive and symptomatic. Sadly, the hospitalization rate is mimicking the case rate as reported by the CDC. As case numbers grow, hospitalizations have followed, resulting in a growing death rate, one that we’re seeing here in Colorado.
According to everyone in this group, there’s no reason to doubt the numbers.
Two of my friends mentioned the issue of comorbidity, and how it’s used by non-medical folk to debunk the CDC’s reported numbers. It’s a fact that the majority of COVID victims also have underlying conditions – only a few deaths are unattended by other ailments. So, earlier this year, a claim began to circulate on social media that only 6% of the CDC’s COVID numbers are legit.
To the majority of medical professionals, my friends included, this is false. Comorbidities may contribute to a COVID death, but apart from COVID, they would have never been fatal. For example, if someone dies from COVID who’s also diabetic, it will most likely be coded a COVID death if the reporting physician determines that the victim’s problem with diabetes would have never been fatal apart from COVID.
Another problem that’s arisen as hospitals fill up is that there’s dwindling space to put folk who’ve just come out of surgery, in need of an extra night or two to recuperate. Many procedures are being put on hold because America is struggling to get on the same page with regards to this pandemic’s severity.
In sum, without exception, my M.D. friends are convinced that we have a problem, one that requires us to rethink any indoor activity, worship included.
Follow Orders
The Colorado Governor’s office regularly posts updates to whatever mandates, advice, or suggestions they might have regarding pandemic life. Currently, Denver and surrounding counties (Douglas, Jefferson, Arapaho, Boulder, etc.) have been flagged as “red” zones, due to the astronomical rise in case rates, with the following restrictions in place for communities of faith:
Level Red – Stay Home: Remote, virtual, or outdoor services strongly encouraged. In-person services may be held for groups of 10 people or fewer, excluding staff.
Many pastors and leaders in the Denver area are trying their best to follow the Governor’s instructions, while many others are choosing to go ahead with indoor worship this morning. These have tight restrictions to be sure, but are holding services in old, poorly ventilated spaces lacking proper filtration even in the newest of buildings, with little to no restrictions on how many people they’ll let in the building. It’s in these spaces that we’re placing our singing folk, on stage, unmasked, posing a greater risk of exposure regardless of how far removed they might be from others. One of my Jewish friends is flabbergasted by this.
A Christian friend reflected:
“I think people really have to ask why they are worshipping in person and whether it is something that as Christians we should really be doing. I don’t think it is considerate of their neighbors, at this point. They may be fine – but they may infect someone who may not be.”
Another shared this, with the following link:
“No to any indoor gatherings at this time. Isn’t that the current Denver mandate too? Staying home is the best thing we could do for everyone. Covid is everywhere out there right now.” https://english.elpais.com/…/a-room-a-bar-and-a-class…
Putting Others At Risk
Most of my friends believe that indoor worship services, or any indoor activities, save maybe a quick grocery store visit, are patently irresponsible. It’s interesting that my non-Christian M.D. friends seemed more compassionate about the need for sunday morning services that my Christian non-M.D. friends, but the entire group is anti-indoor-service, not only because it’s dangerous, but because it’s unfair.
I’m in agreement of course, married to an M.D. (not part of the above interview crowd), and concerned for her safety. We’re in a strange predicament where so many are crying out against alleged socialist agendas while simultaneously gathering indoors against government orders, putting themselves, everyone around them, and ultimately those who will be charged with their care, at risk.
But we’re not (mis)behaving like this because we don’t care. We’re tired, longing to return to life as usual. We’ve also been (mis)lead to believe that organizations like the CDC, WHO, Worldometer, The COVID Tracking Project, et al. have been tainted with some unholy spirit and are thus unreliable to varying degrees. Add to that the fact that so many of us don’t have any friends or relatives who’ve been adversly affected and you can understand why we’re a bit defiant.
That’s why it’s important to listen, first and foremost, to the people who are on the front lines. They too might have nobody close who’s died from COVID, but they’ve seen its impact nonetheless, and are beyond concerned at our country’s inability to move forward carefully, responsibly, and in a way that looks out for the best interest of others.
Stay home, family. God is bigger than all of this, and has seen His children through much worse.
We’ll be OK.
There are also some of us who cannot put off hospitalization. I am currently going through cancer treatment. With each cycle, I have wound up hospitalized with a crashed immune system (something that goes along with most treatments) and a life-threatening fever (which does not necessarily always happen). My 3 stays have each lasted 4 days; last week, I had to have a blood transfusion because my hemoglobin was so low. I have 3 more cycles to go. If the same thing happens, I now face the danger of no beds being available. I know that there are contingency plans, but the prospect of having my life in danger and no place to go is terrifying. I am a retired pastor whose Minnesota church continues to worship online and to follow CDC and denominational guidelines, for which I am so grateful.
I’m sorry to hear about your condition, and that someone who didn’t chose to have cancer is forced to give up their hospital bed to someone who chose to expose themselves to Coronavirus. As you can tell, I’m angry about this, and in dire need to check the judgmentalism, but this isn’t fair. I’ll be praying for you.
I’m in TN. In March our church switched to online services only as required by our state. When they started allowing churches to open, but still had a lot of restrictions, we remained online until those restrictions were lifted. Now, we still stream all our services online and encourage those with health risks to stay home. We also have our fellowship hall designated as a social distancing room where masks are required and social distancing is required and the service is streamed on a TV screen.
Then we have our regular service where masks and social distancing is optional. I believe we have managed to find a healthy balance of options, while remaining respectful of our local health regulations.
I appreciate your input, and the complications we’re all trying to waffle through, but at this point, a ‘masks optional’ indoor service is horribly irresponsible, placing your congregants at risk, and everyone outside of your congregation that they’re exposed to, as well as the healthcare workers that will be forced to care for them when they get sick. Please petition your pastors to stop.
Well, fortunately, our leadership have not taken a blind, one size fits all approach, and they remain fluid in their response, and have remained ready to follow local guidelines. We live in an urban area and currently have 79 people hospitalized (0.52% of our current active cases) That number has stayed pretty steady for the last several months and it has not put our local hospital network in a danger zone for capacity. The health board which meets once a week has stated that they have had no significant spread of covid from religious meetings so far. I believe flexibility and a willingness to follow local guidelines is what is needed. For instance, we will not be meeting in person on Thanksgiving weekend. And if our county asks religious services to stop meeting in person, then we will follow their guidance.
Where do you live?
Knoxville. Our county health dept has a covid dashboard on their website and our health board meets publicly once a week. They have maintained good transparency for the public to know what is going on.
They have so many exceptions its almost not worth having the mandate. Yes, we have a mask mandate but religious gatherings are exempt.
Where does it say that?
It was not my intention to start a cross examination on the practices of our church. I agree with your conclusion that churches should not be afraid to follow local mandates on meeting in person. I was only sharing how our church is managing in our region with our particular mandates, covid numbers etc. Flexibility, not responding in fear, willingness to get creative, these are all things we need in this season.
It’s not mine either – I’m critiquing your approach to this as I feel some responsibility to respond when someone posts something here that I believe is harmful; in this case, going to church, much less doing so unmasked.
Section 5K of your county’s regs says that places of worship are exempt from the mask mandate, but “persons in such places of worship are encouraged to wear a face covering consistent with the provisions of this regulation.” I don’t agree that your church is submitting to the local government here.
I’ll add that COVID is the number one killer in Tenn. at the moment. If by “being creative” you mean that people don’t have to wear masks indoors if they don’t want to, I think that’s dangerous. As far as fear goes, I’m not proposing that we run around, scared out of our minds, I’m simply calling for a higher level of responsibility that what your particular church has embraced.
If nothing else, remember that those outside the church are watching your church do something that, to them, comes of as selfish and uncaring. If church were essential to life,it might make more sense, but it’s not. We can take a couple of years off and still grow close to Jesus while not completely shooting ourselves in the foot with the people we’re supposed to be reaching.
Ok. Well, reading your article, I did not fully understand that your position was for the entire church to close their doors for several years. That is a position I don’t agree with, and for now, I will have to say we must agree to disagree.
That’s not my position, I’m merely stating that however long we’re required to shut our doors won’t kill us. Rest assured though that ignoring this, or getting “creative” with responsible actions, as you’ve suggested, will prolong things.
But yeah, we don’t agree. At this point if you see no problem with Christian folk wandering around indoors, unmasked, in any unessential activity, adding to the spread of COVID in your state, you and I are nowhere on the same page.