We're Headed Back to Church! Sorta.

[Tacenda]

30 minutes ago, pogi said:

Those are good, but I think they give too much leeway to let each local unit decide how they are going to run.  These leaders likely have zero public health education to make such decisions as if singing time should be held or not.  It really shouldn’t be an option.  I think there are good general guidelines, but I would have liked to see more specific requirements, rather than suggestions.

I just feel it is too early.  We don’t have an effective treatment or preventive measure.  I don’t think people are especially suffering from having church at home for now.  The risks outweigh the benefits of opening church again, in my opinion.  Make no mistake, we will see Increase in outbreaks, hospitalizations, and likely death from this. But if they are going to open, I feel we could easily make it safer than what is being suggested.

I wish they'd do more zoom meetings. I know people all don't feel the same about that. But I like seeing people in their elements. My ward rarely do these. But for those that like the social I think this would be ideal. Maybe assign a talk for those that participate and then have an in home Sacrament and then after, a meet & greet! @Raingirl comment made me think of this. I'd love it because I'd get to know my ward a lot better IMO this way. I don't get why someone with authority couldn't do the Sacrament through zoom for those that are unable to bless it. I sure wish they would allow that.

Edited May 19, 2020 by Tacenda

[Rain]

29 minutes ago, pogi said:

Those are good, but I think they give too much leeway to let each local unit decide how they are going to run.  These leaders likely have zero public health education to make such decisions as if singing time should be held or not.  It really shouldn’t be an option.  I think there are good general guidelines, but I would have liked to see more specific requirements, rather than suggestions.

I just feel it is too early.  We don’t have an effective treatment or preventive measure.  I don’t think people are especially suffering from having church at home for now.  The risks outweigh the benefits of opening church again, in my opinion.  Make no mistake, we will see Increase in outbreaks, hospitalizations, and likely death from this. But if they are going to open, I feel we could easily make it safer than what is being suggested.

I worry about this. Our stake president was visiting elderly diabetics last week, shaking hands with them and not wearing a mask or gloves.

[strappinglad]

48 minutes ago, bluebell said:

runny nose,

That rules out most of the kids in Nursery . 😁

[pogi]

19 minutes ago, The Nehor said:

Only if the Area Presidency authorizes it and this is not said much but in the announcement the Area Presidency needs to consult with the Seventy and the Apostles and I suspect they need to sign off on it. I do not think we will have rogue area presidents jumping ahead of sanity.

I don't know where the church is in regards to where they think the US is in this pandemic but they are well informed and they are working with experts and the guy in charge, while not explicitly an expert in epidemiology, does understand health and has so far shown a lot of caution. The Church shut down before most of the world did.

That's true, there is a lot of reason to hope.  The fact that they haven't specifically stated that local Utah congregations will not be re-opening in any local news does give me pause though.  I imagine we will be getting more local announcements soon.  I am crossing my fingers, but you are right, there is reason to hope.   

[pogi]

19 minutes ago, Rain said:

I worry about this. Our stake president was visiting elderly diabetics last week, shaking hands with them and not wearing a mask or gloves.

God bless his intentions, but if I could find a facepalm emoji, I would use it.  I sometimes wonder what planet people are coming from. 

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

2 hours ago, smac97 said:

Here:

Yay!

-Smac

I am 63 in a few days, live in the South and have allergies. Thus sniffles, coughing on occasion, and having read the guidelines, may never be able to return to Church in the near future, without causing a lot of other people to be afraid. Afraid to be near me, or afraid to let me come near them. 

[Raingirl]

1 hour ago, amo said:

I'd rather stay home...

No one is stopping you from doing that. 

[The Nehor]

32 minutes ago, pogi said:

That's true, there is a lot of reason to hope.  The fact that they haven't specifically stated that local Utah congregations will not be re-opening in any local news does give me pause though.  I imagine we will be getting more local announcements soon.  I am crossing my fingers, but you are right, there is reason to hope.   

There are lots of reasons to hope. I have been a Jeremiah about this pandemic but we are not as divided as we seem to be as a nation.

[Robert F. Smith]

1 hour ago, pogi said:

Those are good, but I think they give too much leeway to let each local unit decide how they are going to run.  These leaders likely have zero public health education to make such decisions as if singing time should be held or not.  It really shouldn’t be an option.  I think there are good general guidelines, but I would have liked to see more specific requirements, rather than suggestions.

I just feel it is too early.  We don’t have an effective treatment or preventive measure.  I don’t think people are especially suffering from having church at home for now.  The risks outweigh the benefits of opening church again, in my opinion.  Make no mistake, we will see Increase in outbreaks, hospitalizations, and likely death from this. But if they are going to open, I feel we could easily make it safer than what is being suggested.

 

1 hour ago, Raingirl said:

Going to church is worth whatever work it takes. There are those who have had to endure worse, and still do, to be able to go. 

I'm already doing things in a way I never thought of before:  Monday I drove up to Smith's market, parked in a pickup stall, called the number on the sign to announce my arrival.  Stayed in my car with mask on while a masked young woman loaded my order into my car.  Prepaid by credit card.  They also deliver.  Safety first, people. 

[Meadowchik]

9 minutes ago, The Nehor said:

There are lots of reasons to hope. I have been a Jeremiah about this pandemic but we are not as divided as we seem to be as a nation.

Supposedly these numbers are declining

[The Nehor]

1 hour ago, Tacenda said:

I wish they'd do more zoom meetings. I know people all don't feel the same about that. But I like seeing people in their elements. My ward rarely do these. But for those that like the social I think this would be ideal. Maybe assign a talk for those that participate and then have an in home Sacrament and then after, a meet & greet! @Raingirl comment made me think of this. I'd love it because I'd get to know my ward a lot better IMO this way. I don't get why someone with authority couldn't do the Sacrament through zoom for those that are unable to bless it. I sure wish they would allow that.

You like seeing me laying down on the couch in sweats and a t-shirt?

[Nacho2dope]

I was excited to see this, I have read some of the comments on this site and on social media and there is a large portion of people who really are enjoying home church and not wanting to go back. My wife and I were talking with some friends the other day and this topic came up because we were talking about things opening up. My wife and our friends believe that people who weren't active before will be coming back when this all opens up. I disagreed,  and from what I have seen on social media we may be losing some of the active ones, but I guess we will see.

[Meadowchik]

36 minutes ago, Bill “Papa” Lee said:

I am 63 in a few days, live in the South and have allergies. Thus sniffles, coughing on occasion, and having read the guidelines, may never be able to return to Church in the near future, without causing a lot of other people to be afraid. Afraid to be near me, or afraid to let me come near them. 

Me too!

[Meadowchik]

1 minute ago, Nacho2dope said:

I was excited to see this, I have read some of the comments on this site and on social media and there is a large portion of people who really are enjoying home church and not wanting to go back. My wife and I were talking with some friends the other day and this topic came up because we were talking about things opening up. My wife and our friends believe that people who weren't active before will be coming back when this all opens up. I disagreed,  and from what I have seen on social media we may be losing some of the active ones, but I guess we will see.

Yes, some will stop attending, but many only because they feel unsafe. 

[The Nehor]

4 minutes ago, Meadowchik said:

Supposedly these numbers are declining

The numbers are from last week. Pretty recent. The loudest people get the microphones. It is like judging the state of the nation by reading YouTube and News article comments. Your first impulse when you read those is to drench the entire nation in kerosene and light a match if you do not remember that those forums tend to self-select for frothing idiots. As Yeats wrote: "The worst are full of passionate intensity"

Edited May 19, 2020 by The Nehor

[provoman]

Right now, in much of Utah, the State Government authorizes public Church services regardless of audience size; though social distancing applies.   The Church guidelines also call for social distancing.

Social distancing is "possible" for a Sacrement meeting - except for everyone touching the Sacrement trays, though for wards with 400 plus members that add a level of difficulty.  I am not sure I am ready to go back until the 2nd wave can be said to have come and gone. 

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

6 minutes ago, Meadowchik said:

Me too!

I just do not understand this hysteria we seem to have over this issue?  

[Mystery Meat]

3 hours ago, Robert F. Smith said:

You won't see me there.  Mask or no mask.  I want my vaccine first.

You may never go back if that is the threshold.

[Meadowchik]

11 minutes ago, The Nehor said:

The numbers are from last week. Pretty recent. The loudest people get the microphones. It is like judging the state of the nation by reading YouTube and News article comments. Your first impulse when you read those is to drench the entire nation in kerosene and light a match if you do not remember that those forums tend to self-select for frothing idiots. As Yeats wrote: "The worst are full of passionate intensity"

I have was just going by a news report. Bloomberg.

 

[The Nehor]

30 minutes ago, Bill “Papa” Lee said:

I just do not understand this hysteria we seem to have over this issue?  

People are worried. Some are downright scared. I have bad seasonal allergies with dry hacking coughs and in the couples of weeks before the lockdowns but where the virus was known to be spreading I was coughing all over. People stared at me as if I was a threat and was going to infect them or do something and for all they knew I was. I wanted to apologize or explain but when I tried it felt silly and overly defensive. It felt dehumanizing to be looked at that way.

I was talking with a friend and talked about this. Then she busted our laughing and congratulated me on basically being black in the wrong neighborhood for a few weeks. There is some truth there.

My parents are amazingly healthy for their age but I still worry about them catching it and being one of the unlucky ones with a bad case. It would take a greater streak of bad luck but one of my brother or sisters could get a bad case. I already have friends who have had really bad cases. I admit to a little fear it might get me. I am not afraid of death but I have read COVID death accounts and I sincerely am afraid of going that way.

[The Nehor]

31 minutes ago, Meadowchik said:

I have was just going by a news report. Bloomberg.

 

Was it a poll or a lot of angry people in the street?

[The Nehor]

34 minutes ago, Mystery Meat said:

You may never go back if that is the threshold.

Made me think of this game and what happens if you choose to never leave the starting room:

 

[Tacenda]

1 hour ago, The Nehor said:

You like seeing me laying down on the couch in sweats and a t-shirt?

Wellllll I may see the cute animals in your avatar!

[The Nehor]

4 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

Wellllll I may see the cute animals in your avatar!

They are probably there too. I often have them asleep in my shirt while I am doing virtual meetings.  

[Avatar4321]

I suspect my stake will be slow going back.

im looking forward to it though