The Rev. Barbara Blom had the bad luck of joining a church during COVID-19. But she had the good luck that said church was the United Ministry of Aurora.
Blom, who became pastor of the church in May, told The Citizen that taking leadership of a congregation during a historically disruptive pandemic hasn't been as hard as one might think.
The congregation is small enough, and the ceilings high enough, that the church will be able to return to regular indoor services today, with masks and social distancing. And when the weather's nice again, it can return to outdoor services overlooking Cayuga Lake. The church embraced its scenic view last summer with concerts in its amphitheater, a presentation from the Cayuga Nation and more.
Nor has COVID-19 disrupted the congregation of the church spiritually. That, Blom believes, is also because it's located in a small village community, where people are able to stay connected.
"It's such a caring community, and they really take care of each other," she said. "That's been a great asset during COVID and helped mitigate the isolation people are feeling."
Blom grew up Presbyterian, she said, but left the church as a teenager. She didn't think about her faith until a series of tragic deaths of people close to her years later. She returned to the pews, "leaving early and getting there late so no one would talk to me." Then, on a whim, she decided to enroll at Colgate Crozer Rochester Divinity School early one morning: Sept. 11, 2001.
The attacks later that morning would cast that decision in a new light.
"I thought, 'I'm really supposed to be here or I'm really not,'" she said.
Then a Unitarian Universalist, Blom led a congregation in Cortland. She next joined the more biblically rooted United Church of Christ, and moved to a church in Preble. That was followed by St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Spencer, and the Episcopal Presbyterian congregation of the United Ministry of Aurora. Bloom believes that history reflects her ecumenical approach to religion, as does her role as founding director of the Interfaith Center for Action and Healing in Ithaca, which opened in January 2019 but closed temporarily due to COVID-19.
Blom lived in Ithaca for about 30 years. But she's always loved Aurora, where she graduated from Wells College, and so she decided to return there with her three adopted children and the three Afghan refugee youths who stay with her. She preached at the United Ministry of Aurora on a guest basis prior to becoming its pastor last year.
Like many churches, its congregation is aging and it may no longer be meeting the needs of younger people, Blom said. But she believes COVID-19 could end up helping the church evolve. Though the congregation isn't as enthusiastic about Zoom coffee hours and YouTube services as it was last spring, she wants to continue offering that virtual content. It helps connect with new people, and with those who no longer live in Aurora. The pandemic has seen the church work more with Wells, too, as Blom taught a class there and led students to the church's labyrinth on field trips.
The pastor believes the pandemic could also help the United Ministry of Aurora evolve spiritually, and in step with the rest of society. It has shown people that some old systems no longer work the way they're supposed to, she said, and require new life. To illustrate that point, Blom recalled preaching at the church last Easter that sometimes, a rebirth requires some sort of death.
"COVID was the dying of something, now it's time for a re-envisioning, an emerging," she said. "It has provided an opportunity for some people to see that some things need to be changed."
Lake Life Editor David Wilcox can be reached at (315) 282-2245 or david.wilcox@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @drwilcox.
"caring" - Google News
March 14, 2021 at 06:00PM
https://ift.tt/3vnEo4I
'Caring community': New Aurora pastor on joining a church during COVID-19 - Auburn Citizen
"caring" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2z0ngcp
https://ift.tt/3fgQ2Gv
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "'Caring community': New Aurora pastor on joining a church during COVID-19 - Auburn Citizen"
Post a Comment