A Christian woman reveled in her experience of finally attending an in-person worship service in church on Mother's Day, after a year of being contented with virtual services, calling it a "special" and "joyful" moment.
A Florida woman recently shared her experience attending an in-person worship gathering in church after a year of complying with social distancing guidelines set by COVID-19 restrictions. Bea L. Hines, a regular churchgoer to The Church of God Tabernacle (True Holiness) in Liberty City, in Miami, Florida, spoke about her experience visiting a church in New Orleans with her family.
"There's just something special about being in the House of God on the Lord's day," Hines wrote for the Miami Herald.
She recounted how she was in the city with her goddaughter and her goddaughter's husband, who was a minister, and their family. They gathered to celebrate her goddaughter's daughter's graduation and Hines was soon invited by one of her classmates to attend Watson Memorial Teaching Ministries.
Feeling comfortable and "at home," she soon became a member of the congregation. On Mother's Day, Hines attended an in-person worship gathering.
"It was the first time in more than a year that I had attended church in person," Hines said. "Just walking into the sanctuary after so many days of virtual church gave me such a joyful feeling. Although I was many miles away from my own church, I felt at home."
Hines recounted how Watson Memorial Teaching Ministries reminded her of her own church, saying, "I could feel the loving warmth that even the masks could not conceal." She added that she "felt the love flowing" from the reverend and the other worshipers as they sang songs of praise. She said that singing together with them gave her a "warm, happy feeling."
"As I prayed and joined in the singing, I realized how much I probably took for granted about being assembled in the house of the Lord with my brothers and sisters for worship," Hines admitted.
Hines shared however that "living a life of faith" does not mean trials and tribulations will not come into one's life. She explained that these challenges will be there to remind people that it is "faith in the Lord and service to His people" that will help push through even toughest times, such as a global pandemic.
Hines shared that the COVID-19 pandemic has been a "time of learning" in which people "learned new ways" to be "creative" despite the safety precautions and restrictions implemented by health authorities. According to The Blaze, Hines' home church in Liberty City was forced to hold virtual ceremonies as COVID-19 took a toll on its communities.
Hines admitted that one of the best things about in-person worship gathering in church is the "sweet fellowship among parishioners" and Holy Communion, as well as the teachings of the minister. She reveled in the feeling, saying that participating in songs and praises made her feel grateful to be able to set foot inside "His house" after the challenging year of COVID-19.
"We were in the sanctuary of the Lord, basking in His glory," Hines concluded.
