Worship in the Pandemic

I have always been fascinated by youth in my church.

They surface as shy kindergartens, fidgeting nervously in front of the church saying their memory verses, then gradually metamorphose into confident youth displaying their various talents for the Lord. I did not realize the wealth of talent that the youth in the churches here in Jamaica possessed until “face-to-face” worship was replaced by “online” worship during the pandemic. Amateurs in technology received on-the-job training and soon became experts. Musical talents exploded among young adults, teens, and amazingly uninhibited children who were a breath of fresh air.

Sermons were preached with godly power and eloquence by young men and young women. Many of these young people were emboldened to declare to the world stories of the struggles they were having, which adults may not be as honest to admit to at church and even more so to the world. These testimonies no doubt helped many to deal with similar issues. My worship experience reached a new height, and all this resulted from a devastating pandemic, where some blamed God and stopped worshiping Him. But Satan was a defeated foe as it let our youth shine for our Protector! One reassurance that I received from this experience is that God’s church is alive, despite the many problems we may have in our midst. I am saddened when I hear numbers being quoted for the attrition of youth in our churches around the world.

We do need them for the continuity of the work, so we all must seek, find, and unearth their hidden talents and encourage them to use these for the Lord before Satan uses them for his gain. I believe that if older members slowly step aside and systematically give young people responsible positions, along with guidance from our wealth of experience, empathy as we remember our imperfect past, and correction with love, the church will retain them and will remain alive and well!

Cecelia Grant