Over the coming weeks, many churches will begin to gather in person again. I want to celebrate with those who are choosing that path–assuming all necessary precautions are being taken–while also honoring those who are choosing to stay only online for the time being. We have several churches in each camp within UBA.

There are perfectly valid reasons for each decision, and if churches in the association can extend grace to churches that choose a different route than they do, we’ll really be on our way to the innovative collaboration we talk so much about. Full stop. 

The topic of reopening churches has found a national following on CNN since President Trump’s announcement last Friday, and it seems the emotional divide between churches that choose to reopen and those that are waiting is growing wider. This division within the larger body of Christ will only serve to distract us from our mission and tarnish our witness if we cannot choose to compassionately and gracefully disagree with one another’s tactical choices right now. 

But there is another debate raging within our congregations that concerns me. 

Does it worry anyone else that what threatens the extension of grace between believers may come down to a face mask?

WE WANT CHURCH TO BE THE WAY IT WAS

Everything about church is personal, which is why church business meetings can blow up over the smallest things. When people return to church, many are longing to return to it the way it was before COVID-19, but alas, that cannot happen.

My life is the church, so I understand. I want to be in a full sanctuary. I want to shake hands. I want to hang around the coffee bar. I want my kids to join their friends in class, and I want the worship service to be like it was.  

But for the time being, it has to be different. 

MASKS ARE TEMPORARY

There have been other blogs written about how much will change as a result of COVID-19. But of this I’m confident: masks are temporary. Thermometers at doors, social distancing, closed children’s classrooms; these things are temporary. The debate about singing and aerosolized particles is temporary. 

I don’t know if there’s anything pernicious about singing, but there sure seems to be a lot of doctors that seem to think so (see here and here). Regardless of what they say about singing,  all doctors seem to agree that being near people in enclosed spaces increases a person’s chances of getting sick. 

So, for the time being, those who choose to gather should do so while taking necessary precautions to care for themselves and others around them. Considering all we've been doing up to this point, that shouldn't be too bad, right?

At the very minimum, churches should remind people to employ social distancing, to refrain from shaking hands or hugging, encourage those over 65 and any with underlying medical conditions to continue worshipping online only for the time being, and to wear a mask while at church. 

Did I lose anyone with that last one?

GOVERNOR ABBOTT & MAYOR TURNER AGREE

From the time Governor Abbott began opening the Texas economy, he encouraged people attending church to wear masks. He said it in his press conferences, and he wrote it in this OPEN TEXAS guide. “Consistent with the actions taken by many churches, congregations, and places of worship across the state, consider having employees, volunteers, and attendees wear cloth face coverings (over the nose and mouth)” (The Governor’s Report to Open Texas, April 27, 2020, p.41). He also tweeted out encouragement to wear a mask in public as recently as 5/22.

Judge Hidalgo of Harris County and Houston’s Mayor Turner have repeatedly asked the public to wear masks. Our civic leaders and medical experts agree that this is the best way to keep people safe. 

Yet I heard a statement last week from a pastor whose church reopened, and it profoundly impacted me. “Almost everyone showed up dutifully wearing a mask, but by the second song several people were taking them off.” 

THE GREAT MASK DEBATE

I don’t know if people were taking their masks off because of discomfort, because they felt that once inside the building they were unnecessary, or something else entirely. What I do know is that there is a tremendous amount of noise right now about how civil liberties are being infringed upon because we are being asked to wear a mask. I can easily get sucked into that argument just like anyone else.

However, when believers start to make those arguments over something temporary like wearing a mask, I believe we’ve taken our eye off loving our neighbor and made our preferences the priority. 

When we’re tired, when we’re frustrated, we lose focus. It’s more important than at any point in this season to remind ourselves what biblical sacrifice looks like (Rom. 12:1), what biblical endurance looks like (Matt. 5:41), and how we are to love those that think differently about disputable matters (Rom. 14).

“For example, someone might find it personally difficult—even maddening—to have to wear a mask during church and stay six feet away from everyone at all times. You might think these precautions are a needless overreaction. But here’s the thing: even if it turns out you’re right, can you not sacrifice your ideal for a season, out of love for others who believe the precautions are necessary?”- Church, Don’t Let Coronavirus Divide You 

The Apostle Paul’s words are instructive here, more than any expert opinion. 

EXTEND GRACE INSTEAD OF DEMANDING RIGHTS

In 1 Corinthians, Paul takes up the issue of a Christian’s rights and how they should steward them in view of others. In short, he says we should be willing to give up our rights for the good of other believers. In chapter 8, he takes to the issue of eating meat sacrificed to idols as a particular point of conflict between members of churches at that time. Some thought it was okay while others did not.

Paul’s response? Even if you think it’s okay to eat the meat, you should abstain if it will offend another church member. The beauty of having rights, when viewed through the gospel, is that we can gladly sacrifice them for the good of others. 

Paul continues a chapter later by using his own life as an example. He writes:

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, because you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

My defense to those who examine me is this: Don’t we have the right to eat and drink? Don’t we have the right to be accompanied by a believing wife like the other apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas?...

If others have this right to receive benefits from you, don’t we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right; instead, we endure everything so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ. (1 Cor. 9:1-5, 12, CSB)

Paul had every right to receive payment for his ministry among the churches he planted. After all, he was one of the apostles, he had seen the resurrected Lord. Yet, he gladly gave up that right so that nothing would hinder the growth of the gospel. He inconvenienced himself so that others would flourish.

ROOM FOR BOTH CAUTION & CELEBRATION

The data seems to show that the precautions are necessary. In the greater Houston area, daily new cases of COVID-19 are still a concern. There have been at least five churches across the country—one of which was in our area—that reopened and has since had to close again to contain an outbreak of new COVID-19 cases. For an uninterrupted hour’s worth of time in an enclosed space, churches are the largest gatherings happening right now, and there is more risk associated with that than going to Home Depot or the grocery store. 

However, I know churches who have put weeks of planning into reopening and making their facilities as safe and as welcoming as they can possibly be. Churches have found fertile ground with their online services and will continue to develop the online experience but will also now turn to welcome back those who are comfortable with in-person worship. 

Whether you favor caution and will remain home for the time being or will return to in-person worship in the coming weeks (or already have), let us remember that we are the body of Christ, and the body works best when all its parts work in unison. If the body extends grace to the other parts, we’ll really be #BetterTogether. 

Josh Ellis is Executive Director of Union Baptist Association. He has a PhD in Leadership Studies and has served on the UBA staff since 2005. With both practical and scholarly knowledge, he leads the association into innovative collaboration for the sake of strategic gospel advancement.

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