This week’s Friday Prepare for Worship newsletter was written by Mark Lautenschlager, Director of Communications and one of Rio’s elders.
My wife and I have been married for almost 36 years. We’ve known each other since we were probably 15 years old and in high school. We met through a Christian youth program called “Ranch” that originated with Florida Bible College in Hollywood, Florida.
Our story is an amusing one that is worth hearing, but that’s not what’s important for this newsletter today. (It truly is amusing, since we had quite an active dislike for each other, to the point where we wouldn’t be in the same room together. Kids, your life lesson is be careful who you think you don’t like. You might be married to them someday.)
What is important is that we met as young believers in a youth program that was entirely optional. No one made us go to Ranch, we went because we wanted to learn about Jesus, be around other Christians, and serve the Lord as best we could. When we started dating, at no point did one of us have to ask the other whether they wanted to go to church that weekend. We went to church. Period. Because that’s who we were and that’s what people like us do. And so it has been for our entire marriage. We started attending this church in 1985 and we’ve been here under three different pastors (and even for a while with no pastor). Sure, we’d miss the odd weekend here or there, but 45-plus weeks a year, we were here every Sunday. Even accounting for a brief foray up to Spanish River Church when we moved to Delray Beach for employment reasons, that’s still well over 1000 Sundays at Bethany/Rio.
Until last year, when a virus decided to go on a world tour.
In March of 2020, our church suspended its Sunday services to comply with the request of city and county officials. We resumed limited in-person services some months ago, but June 6th of 2021 was the first Sunday back for my wife and I. During that time we never missed a service thanks to the live stream, but boy did we “miss” services.
Even when I’d turn up the TV fairly loud so we’d feel comfortable singing, we weren’t comfortable singing. And I suspect, if you’re honest, any of you who watched from home would say the same thing. It was at least different, right? There is something irreplaceable about being in a room with other believers who are worshiping together. It’s not just the volume of the music, in fact there isn’t any specific thing I could put a label on and say “this is it!”
It’s a feeling, one of belonging, of rightness. It’s what my wife and I have always known since day one of our relationship. This is who we are and this is what people like us do. And when we’re next to you, it’s a million times more meaningful.
How do I prepare for church now? Is it different from last year? Well I sure don’t take it for granted. It’s not a given that I get to go worship together with my church family. It feels special. When people ask me what I’ve learned during the pandemic that I hope won’t change, I know what my answer is.
I’ll see you on Sunday.
— Mark