Introduction

Since Oberlin College shut its doors in mid-May of 2019 I have been working with the Oberlin House of the Lord Fellowship, also known as OHOLF, to learn more about how the Church is managing to navigate the Coronavirus crisis. Over the past several weeks I have had the honor and privilege of speaking to many members of the OHOFL congregation and its extended family. My involvement with the Church has taken many forms. 

I have been attending Sunday Services, Bible Studies and 20 Something meetings at OHOLF much more regularly than I had previously. I had been to a few Services at the Oberlin House of the Lord Fellowship previously, but this was a real opportunity to become a part of the community and embrace the Church on a more regular basis. Taking an active part in Church functions has also given me an opportunity to experience for myself the ways that OHOLF has changed and adapted to the socially distanced world we live in today. 

The ability to share some of these experiences has become even more powerful after talking with countless members of the Church over the past several weeks. The combination of worshipping with and speaking to congregants privately allowed me to better understand them when they shared their stories with me because I’m not just listening to them, I am experiencing it with them. Being a part of Church functions has created a new community for me. 

Most of these conversations happened anonymously and were generally more casual than you would expect from any formal interview. I would ask questions, but often the conversations were self guided and touched on topics beyond spirituality. Some conversations lasted 30 minutes, or took the form of a few emails sharing ideas and scripture. Other times I found myself talking for hours to people I met only recently. I talked to people about topics ranging from life histories, education, personal struggles and even the weather. I feel that in many cases, the tangential conversations were the most important. Because they were anonymous, people had a chance to talk with someone, grieve, express their frustrations and hopes, think out loud or find a distraction to break the monotiny of daily life in quarantine. Ultimately, I found the experience of just talking with people themselves to be the most valuable part of this experience. 

I have been able to share with OHOLF the great successes of a digital Church and also work through the challenges congregants are facing alongside them. I feel that being a part of the community has allowed the conversations I’ve had to go far deeper than they ever could have otherwise. I have been blessed with the privilege of listening to, speaking with, worshipping with and helping to share the stories of the House of the Lord community and I look forward to continuing to develop my relationships with the Church in the future. 

I do not anticipate my involvement with the Church or my relationships with many of its members to end any time soon. This has been an extraordinary experience for me. I have learned so much not just academically, but also spiritually.