Worship During the Pandemic
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Call ahead if you want one of the 75 sheltered seatsin this church that used to house 700 worshipers upand down the nave, and along the side altars.But the seats are not vacant; angels occupy them,sometimes more than 900 or more to a seat,since they can kneel on an altar candle wickor expand to hallowed stars in this pandemic gloom.
COVID19 demands we wear masks at church,but think of them as vestments to keep sinaway. Or sacramentals, our breaths filled nowwith sacred words, filtering the darkness out.Even the statues of the saints are wearing masks.
If missals and hymnals have to be put away,sing a Psalm softly to mate COVID's devil's blare.And if holy water fonts are dry, it is so they do notbecome petri dishes growing deadly spores.
Don't fret that the sign of peace has been suspended.Try a nod, a bow, a wink, a wave, a smile, an elbowbump, a word, or pressing your hands together in prayerto signal that viral plots do not work here. [End Page 159]
Philip C. Kolin is the Distinguished Professor of English (Emeritus) and Editor Emeritus of the Southern Quarterly at the University of Southern Mississippi. Alongside academic publications, he has written ten poetry volumes, most recently Reaching Forever (2019) and Delta Tears (2020). He also co-edited three anthologies of eco poems on Katrina (Hurricane Blues, 2005), the Mississippi (Down to the Dark River, 2017), and the moon (The Night's Magician, 2019).
