In today’s reading, Paul is concerned that if unbelievers come in to the chaotic worship in the church at Corinth, they might think the group is just another group of ecstatic pagan worshippers, and not understand that they can find freedom from their sins in Jesus Christ.  If the church will tone down their tongues and begin to prophesy when they come in, said Paul, then the unbelievers will understand, recognize their sinfulness, and worship, saying that “God is really among you.” 

               In the months since the pandemic began, many churches who had never before been on any type of broadcast media, began to put their worship services on social media platforms, in an effort to safely reach not only their own congregations, but any “unbelievers” as Paul calls them, who might come upon them while surfing the internet.   It has been amazing to see how many people join in, and to hear about new virtual worshipping communities, zoom Bible study groups, and live social media broadcasts.  While many people want to return to “normal worship,” some people who had lost touch with their religious upbringing have had the opportunity to return to worship in new ways; and other people who may have never been in church buildings before, have been able to see that the “church” is not a physical structure, but people who demonstrate that to love Jesus is to love and learn to serve other people, in ways they never imagined.  

               Could it be that God is using the pandemic to show us, the church, that our job is not only to continue having worship activities, but also to add new ways of doing things, so that those people will say, “God is really among YOU,” and want to join us in those new ways?