Most clergy opt for safety over full pews

From Boston-

The imposing shadow of Hurricane Irene tested the patience, if not the faith, of clergy and churchgoers throughout Greater Boston yesterday.

Facing howling wind and heavy rain, many churches took the unusual step of canceling or curtailing worship services on a Sunday in August. Churchgoers were left to decide whether to trek out for morning worship. One small church in the Merrimack Valley turned to Facebook for divine intervention.

After canceling its morning service, leaders from Calvary Baptist Church in Haverhill posted a video of one of its choirs singing Psalm 91, and later e-mailed the words to congregants, asking them to meditate on the scripture: “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.’’

“We really felt it was a good way to reach out to [members] on a day when we couldn’t gather,’’ said the Rev. Gregory Thomas, pastor of the congregation that draws from the Merrimack Valley and southern New Hampshire.

More here-

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/08/29/most_clergy_opt_for_safety_over_full_pews/