We Shall Be Changed

In March 2020, as the country shut down due to the pandemic, church leaders were asking questions. How could they continue to worship without meeting in person? Could sacraments like Holy Communion and Baptism be celebrated virtually? Would the business of the church be able to continue without face-to-face meetings?  Would they survive financially without collecting weekly offerings during in-person services? How were they to carry on the mission of the church and share the gospel while confined at home?

Slowly and haltingly, the church adapted and learned. Many had to take a crash course in technology and take their programs and activities outside the walls of their physical buildings. There were even silver linings to be found in this new way of doing church. Online services meant attendance was no longer confined to the able-bodied in a certain geographic area. Online giving meant offerings could happen whether or not congregants attended services in person. Individuals and families were encouraged to embrace spiritual practices in their homes.

In the midst of all the challenges of the pandemic, the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests called churches to reevaluate their priorities and how they respond to police brutality and racially motivated violence against black people. The economic distress caused by the pandemic exacerbated the inequalities in our society between the powerful and those discriminated against because of their race or class.

As more and more people are vaccinated for covid-19, a return to normalcy seems to be fast approaching. But should the church be content to return to the status quo? We Shall Be Changed: Questions for the Post-Pandemic Church calls upon those in the church to use what has been learned to consider its future direction.

The book, edited by Mark D. W. Edington and published by Church Publishing, is a series of 16 essays written to encourage discussion of the challenges the church is facing. It is organized into five sections/conversations including:

• Distancing and Deepening
• Liturgy and Longing
• Hard Choices and Helping Hands
• Inequality, Marginalization – and Renewal
• Leadership – Challenge and Change

We Shall Be Changed can be read by an individual but would be most useful to facilitate a discussion by church leaders, both clergy and laity, as they seek to address what they have experienced and search together for answers to the questions that have been raised during this challenging time.

A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.