Hello Church, my old friend

Five and a half months into the pandemic, my family still find ourselves earning the title "Most Cautious People We Know". We still haven't attended a liturgy as a family since the first week of March. The last time we attended church at all was Forgiveness Vespers. Our parish's safety standards, while not trivial, are still not to the degree that would induce us to return. In reality, at least at this juncture while I am still working to improve my own Covid risk factors, church will continue to elude us as long as it continues indoors. And let's face it, no one's going to be offering outdoor Liturgy in Texas during the month of August.

So thank God for our priest's willingness to offer Communion by private appointment. After a couple of exposure scares and some schedule alignment efforts, we were finally able to sync with the proistamenos of Holy Trinity GOC yesterday morning. My wife, eldest daughter, and I gave confession, and then our whole 7-piece orchestra received Communion together for the first time in approaching six months. There is much to discuss about how this bleak season has impacted all our decision making and theological reasoning as regards participation in the life of the Church, but I don't want venture into that terrain now. Right now, I want to thank God for the sacraments of Communion and Confession to refresh the soul and renew our strength in Christ.

I also want to share this photo, which I snapped of my 2 1/2-year-old son Isaac while the two of us had a few fleeting moments of "guy time" at church yesterday. To set the scene, our parish is a large one by Orthodox standards, with a long, towering nave that can hold ~700 people. But we also have a small-ish chapel that holds ~70 and is set off to one side of the narthex. While my wife was taking her turn at confession in the nave, my four daughters all decided they needed a bathroom break. While they were occupied, I slipped into the chapel with Isaac. I love being in St. Barbara's chapel when no one else is at church. The eerie silence is captivating. The atmosphere had an effect on Isaac, who immediately switched to whispering when we walked through the chapel doors. I love how this picture captures both the wonder and serenity of an Orthodox worship space done right.