Keeping faith in a time of crisis

Pastor Rob Lawson of Bethany Lutheran Church in The Dalles, which is also home to Columbia Lutheran School, is no exception.

Prior to the pandemic, Lawson’s small church at the corner of East 11th and Thompson streets was a pretty busy place.

“Kids were here every day, the teaching staff and the secretary. We had mid-week bible studies, and lots of meetings,” Lawson said.

Every Sunday, 25-30 parishioners gathered for services in the small sanctuary. Bethany Lutheran members are orthodox, confessional Lutherans, and the church is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

Lawson, who came to The Dalles to serve as pastor only six months ago, was settling in to his new ministry when everything changed.

“When this started, the school immediately shut down, when the public schools were closed,” Lawson said. Instruction time went exclusively online, with periodic meetings scheduled during which families could bring in homework. “The instruction has been a challenge, with both teachers and students learning to communicate and work together online.”

The school, which has 13 students, is using Google classroom. “Fortunately our principal is pretty tech savvy,” said Larson. “It’s gotten better the last couple of weeks.”

In addition to online schooling, all non-church services and activities have been canceled, Larson said. That includes bible studies, he noted, although he is looking into ways to do that online going forward. “My ministry, day to day, is at the church. I’m posting devotionals to the internet, making phone calls, texting.”

He noted that communion — a physical sharing of the sacraments — is a big part of the Lutheran tradition and continues in a limited fashion. “People can arrange to come in for an individual communion, and services allow for seven individuals to attended, spaced six feet apart in the sanctuary.” With Lawson, an organist and an equipment operator, that is within the limitation of 10 people gathered in one place. “Non communion, it’s just the three of us,” he added.

Communion is shared with additional precautions as well, he added. For example, when presenting the “host,” instead of a blessing for each participant, a single blessing is given. “That way I am not speaking in anyone’s face,” he explained.

“We’re doing the best we can to do our part,” he said. “We are blessed to have this technology to connect.”

He said he hopes that during this difficult time, “we will reorient ourselves to those higher things. God has provided our way back to eternal life.”

Lawson said the biggest difficulty raised by the pandemic is that he cannot physically visit those who are living in care facilities, where no visitors are currently allowed.

“Some of my people have dementia, and it really takes a face-to-face meeting to connect with them. I can send them a bulletin and a note, but they don’t necessarily understand. When I visit, I would wear my clerical collar, and they would know I was a pastor. Then I could talk with them, and they would know that I was their pastor.

“I hope it ends soon enough I can get back in there and continue ministering to them. That’s the hardest part.”