Gathering Your People: A Maundy Thursday-Pandemiversary Reflection

It's Thursday, April 14, 2022. In the Christian tradition, today is Maundy Thursday, the first day of the Holy Triduum, a three day acknowledgement of the events leading up and including Easter Sunday. Many other faith traditions are celebrating spring rituals and practices. Even in the secular world, spring comes with many celebrations. We also find ourselves at the 2nd anniversary of the Covid 19 global pandemic. For many of us, the rituals of this season bring back memories of the initial stages of fear and uncertainty that all of us experienced. Fear and uncertainty that hasn't really let up.

​All of this has me thinking about the value we place on  rituals and gathering. 

Maundy Thursday is about a celebratory meal around a table with friends and family. These gatherings are part of what many of us missed the most during the height of the pandemic. The photo I shared with this post came from a Thanksgiving gathering with my family and friends this year. We were so grateful to be together around a table. We were excited to recreate the expected rituals, but also to introduce some new and different things. What a wonderful thing it is to be gathering again! As we come together for these spring celebrations let's all start with grateful hearts.

In my coaching, I hear a lot about "re-gathering" and "getting back to normal." I've been encouraging folks to change their language to simply focus on gathering and moving forward. What do we want things to be like in our post-pandemic world? What did we learn about our own priorities and what matters the most? How are we going to apply those learnings to what comes next? A group of first call pastors I have been coaching for the last two years pointed out to me that they have never experienced these special services in the way they were done at their churches before the pandemic. There is a pretty good chance something will be different this year in all of your spring celebrations, let's go in with a posture of curiosity.

As we move back into spaces and experiences more like they had been, I encourage you to look for the lessons. What did we learn was really not necessary? What were we doing simply because we always had? What expectations do you have that come out of that kind of thinking? If something looks different this year, ask yourself what is special about the new? If something is missing that you really miss, plan to volunteer to help it happen next year.

Most important, be grateful for the many people who make these events happen. Everyone from clergy and church staff to teachers and school staff and an army of volunteers want to create the best possible experience for you and the folks you love. They have been working hard to do this in crazy circumstances and they are tired. This is the time to rally around them with love and support.

Whatever you are celebrating this spring, I wish you the best...

Because you are Worth it!

​Heidi