Bubble Church

 

Remember the rhyme we used to do as children:

Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors, and see all the people!

We often talk about the fact that church is not the building but the people. A grouping of people who, for a whole range of reasons, choose to gather in some organised way, traditionally, but not exclusively, on a Sunday.

These gatherings all tend to have elements in common - we sing, we pray, we listen, we give, we drink coffee (hopefully)…

We can’t gather for now. We don’t know when we’ll be able to physically gather together again. We grieve what we had and wonder what we’ll have.

But we do gather, just differently. My family gathers on the couch, some are showered and dressed, some still in pyjamas eating breakfast, some knitting and, if we’re zooming, some in view and some not. We are at home and yet we gather. I am reminded of Dr Seuss and ‘How the Grinch stole Christmas.’ The presents may have been stolen but the Whos in Whoville still got up and celebrated on Christmas Day.

Church at Home, Faith at Home, Home Church, Bubble Church. Take a look at this delightful video from our friends at Strandz, the Children and Families team of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.

We don’t know when we’re going to be able to gather in large groups again. Bubble Church may be our new norm for some time to come. There are lots of questions to answer as we are faced with this new reality:

·       Who do we gather with?
·       When do we gather?
·       What do we do?
·       Where do we do it?
·       How do we do it?

But these are not insurmountable, and they do provide an opportunity for discussion and a chance to try something new or different without having to set any of it in concrete.

And finally, from the video - ‘We trust that God is with us and that God can grow something beautiful in this season.’ Amen to that.