For This Weston Church, The Coronavirus Is A Blessing And A Curse

WESTON, CT — When the Norfield Congregational Church closed the sanctuary in the third week of March following the coronavirus outbreak, it had the same fears shared by every local business. How long will this last? And how do we keep it together in the meantime?

The church's solution of putting as much of their product online as possible mirrored that of many businesses as well. But really, how well was trying to turn the services of an active and vibrant religious community into a virtual congregation going to go?

"I'm tempted to say 'too well,'" senior minister Rev. Bernard Wilson told Patch. "We have more people viewing our online services than attended services."

The signal boost the internet has given to Wilson's preaching has not only doubled the size of his congregation, but expanded its reach geographically across the nation.

Pre-COVID-19, the pastor would email the "Bible Verse of the Day" to members of his flock. Since March, he has been sending out "Reflections on the Bible Verse of the Day," which include Wilson's own ruminations, and the response from around the country has been "tremendous."

Wilson hopes that the new reach of the Good Word he preaches can counter the new distress borne of the virus.

"What the pandemic has done, is it has raised the level of fear of being out of control," Wilson said. "When people feel out of control, they try to figure out what will give them an anchor."

People often find that anchor in "drugs, alcohol and inappropriate relationships" according to the pastor.

"There is a spiritual pull that people are turning to. They want something to give meaning to their lives because we can't control today what is happening with this pandemic."

In his 2006 book, "Meditations for Tough and Testing Times," Wilson wrote: "Jesus was crucified for our hangups, so we don't have to get hung up anymore." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that's easier said than done during a pandemic. The CDC is advising people to expect difficulty sleeping or even concentrating, warning that COVID-19 concerns will aggravate existing mental and chronic health problems.

For Wilson, the key to fighting COVID-anxiety is some mental self-care, and a healthy dose of prayer.

"Jesus is always with us. I think it requires a discipline: spending time not just relaxing, but spending time in prayer or meditation or whatever it is that you do that brings meaning into your life. It's important that we encourage people to find not just relaxation, but to find joy in everyday things. In the midst of these challenging times, what is it that brings you joy every day?"

Like every good businessman who steels himself to find the opportunity inherent in a crisis, Wilson is urging his congregation to bend the pandemic into an on-ramp towards a higher calling.

"We have the opportunity to say, 'God, this is in your hands, and I trust what you do.'" Wilson says he has tasked the church's various boards with reimagining the congregational engagement, taking the best of what they have learned during the current crisis and re-purposing it for a virus-free future. He doesn't expect that future anytime soon, and is working under the assumption that all the pandemic restrictions in place currently will still be cramping his congregation's style next year.

"I am an optimist, but you should still expect the worst and hope for the best," Wilson said. "Let’s assume at this point that the fall will be as rocky as it is now."

Consequently, he is disinclined to bring everyone back into the Sanctuary "too soon," only to have to shut it all down again. "That will not speak well of us."

"We're in the midst of a war now," Wilson said. "My hope and prayer is that people find connections to God that continue even when times are good."