As the universal church emerges from a worldwide shutdown from the effects of the Covid-19 virus, how will the church reimagine and reengage in its mission? With the disruption to congregational activity, including in-person worship, comes an opportunity for congregations to set a new course. How will the local church organize itself, engage with the neighbourhood and world, and offer pastoral care to a planet dealing with the significant mental health, economic, and social issues that were heightened during Covid? Returning to old patterns of behaviour, such as ministry informed by the Protestant work ethic, resuming with busy work to justify position, power, or salary, or with a recreation- and entertainment-based ministry to pacify congregants and fill pews, would be a wasted opportunity. A theological opportunity for the church lies in the rediscovery of the classical aim of leisure. The early church during the first two centuries—marginalized and definitely not in a position of privilege or power—might offer an understanding of leisure quite unique from the dominant expressions of leisure such as Greek schole, Roman otium, and the Jewish Sabbath, which has aspects of leisure. By looking backwards, we might notice insights about leisure for today by exploring the early Christian practices of setting aside a single day of the week to gather to worship (before or after work), share in a common meal open to all (regardless of status, gender, or position, and available to both working and non-working participants) and, finally, following the meal, incorporate into weekly non-work time (also regardless of status, gender, or position) care and engagement in the health and vitality of the community in the name of the resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ. All of this leads one to ask: How can a theology of classical leisure inspire and inform the church in a post-Covid world? The followers of Jesus were clear and consistent, if extraordinary, in meeting weekly, on the Lord’s Day, to worship, eat together, and then go out into the neighbouring areas to live out their faith.
