Weather. It’s one of the most popular conversation topics and obsessions. Some like to walk out the door in the morning to see what happens and others watch and track changes on multiple apps. And with weather, there are matters of safety, capability, and common needs to consider.
Before moving here, there was only one time in my life that my church had cancelled a service: when our family and one other person were the only ones who showed up after two feet of snow hadn’t been plowed yet. So it isn’t that I don’t like the idea of cancelling church nearly as much as I don’t understand why we ever need to. If the weather’s bad, people won’t show up!
One thing I have found, since moving here almost twelve years ago is that sometimes people will make the effort when they shouldn’t. In other words, we are leading by example, and if there is church, then it must be safe to do so. Here’s another side, however. The weekly church service relies on predictability. Is it 10:00 on a Sunday? If yes, where are you supposed to be? Church! We don’t cancel because people will show up anyway.
The science of forecasting the weather is built on similar predictability. And they are getting pretty good at it. Weather patterns far from here tell us, with pretty remarkable accuracy, what we’ll be experiencing several days later. And yet, such forecasts only get better over time. As of Wednesday morning, despite the ugly predictions to the north and south of us for this weekend, we still were sitting at a 30% of snow for Saturday. In other words, the likeliest scenario is that we wouldn’t get any snow at all! Now, as of Thursday, it is a 60% chance of light snow on Saturday and 50% chance of snow on Sunday. That’s a big change! And yet, also, not grisly, nor extreme. And also, it still could be! It’s only Thursday!
Let’s be honest: the more we stare at the weather report, the more we expect it to be bad.
What does all of this mean for church? And particularly church this Sunday? At this point: not a lot! Because the info on Thursday morning suggests that, between the cold and the snow, we’ll probably have a lighter-than-average turnout at church. But it doesn’t imply extreme weather or dangerous conditions. In this way, we just have to wait and see.
On the whole, these things don’t matter all that much. We do our best to show up and do our part or to stay safe and do our part by not endangering ourselves. All very normal for January in Indiana. However, this Sunday is our annual meeting. And I’m guessing we’re not going have the best turnout. Which stinks. Honestly, I hope I’m wrong.
So what do we do about that?
Well, our by-laws expect that we have two Sundays to notify the congregation of any congregational meeting. So, if we do not have church this Sunday, or attendance falls below quorum, we should expect to try again on February 8th.
We adapt. This is the nature of life on earth, isn’t it? Adapting to our environment. Developing the means of thriving into the future. Weather come in, winds blow, snow falls, accumulates, the cold freezes it, solidifies it, encases things, and we walk on it, tentatively, shovel, toss salt or ice melt, bundled up, head back inside and drink hot chocolate, coffee, tea, to warm ourselves. And we do these things again.
Watch the front page of the website and the Facebook page for updates, probably on Saturday. Or don’t. We’ll probably have church and might have a meeting. And if we don’t, we’ll do it later, when you can be there with us. When we’re ready. Here. Wanting you here.
