Plein Air Worship

In French 'en plein air' means in the open air.  Plein air painters, and there are several around Fort Wayne, paint outside.  Today I was part of some plein air worship.  We needed to have an actual church service this morning because we were installing new elders and deacons and it was decided that it couldn't really be done virtually.  The service was also live steamed but I had a small part in the service and needed to be there.  I was a little reluctant to go.  I've gotten much too comfortable with couch church.  It was an interesting experience.  We followed all the guidelines- chairs spaced six feet apart (unless you were part of the same family) everyone wearing masks, no congregational singing and so on.  We did have some lovely choral music by a soloist and a trio and a good sermon and prayers so it did feel like church, sort of.  It was good to see friends in real life but I had to look twice to recognize some behind their masks.  The weather was perfect, sunny but only 73 degrees with a cool breeze which made sitting in a parking lot comfortable.  But after the service was over all that careful planing seemed to be gone with the wind.  I've read lately that being outside in a group is safer than in an enclosed space.  I certainly hope that's true.  I saw several groups standing around talking, so excited to see each other in real life, and certainly not staying six feet apart.  I think the human impulse to get too close is just too strong.  Hopefully that good brisk breeze will keep us all safe.