Now comes the tough decision. It shouldn’t be that difficult, but it is hard to get information at this time of day. We got the snow that was forecast, but we didn’t get the wind. More snow is gently falling and there is over a foot on the ground here at home. I’m trying to get information on how things are in town, but it is a Sunday morning and everyone else posted the storm warnings last night and went to bed. I’ve got a note on the church web site that says we’ll make a decision about whether or not to cancel by 6 a.m. I know that not many of our people will rush to the site and check right at 6, but it makes sense that we should decide by then.

As things look right now, I could get into the church. I have a good four-wheel-drive pickup and I could put on chains if I needed them. But there is more to the decision than whether or not I can get to the church. We have lots of people, of all ages, who have to make a decision that affects their safety.

The winter storm warning issued by the National Weather Service advises, “Stay indoors and do not attempt to travel until the storm is over.” But it also forecast winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph. And so far we haven’t had enough wind here to blow any of the snow.

There are no tracks in the street in front of our house and no traffic on the road behind the house. That doesn’t mean much - not many people are out and about at 4:30 am on Sunday mornings. There was a time when the newspaper was a 24-7 operation and you could call them to see what is going on. But times have changed, the newspaper is short-staffed, and they’ve all gone home to wait out the storm. The latest posting on the newspaper web site in regards to the storm is over 22 hours old. They wrote an article, suitable for today’s paper, early yesterday morning and no one has updated it. The television web sites are a bit better, we know that the Black Hills Film Festival, the Mother’s Day Express 1880 Train, the Dinosaur 13 screening at the library, and an event at the Matthews Opera House have been cancelled. We have no information about churches.

I hate to bother the folks at the Sheriff’s office. There are over 200 churches in Rapid City. If we all called, it would get downright annoying.

My instinct is to proceed. I hate to cancel church on the outside chance that someone will be out and about and try to come. On the other hand, I doubt if we’ll have much of a turnout. Not many members of the choir are likely to venture out and today is the first day for a new choir director. I don’t know how capable he is of getting out in the weather. I could pick him up and then swing by and pick up the organist, I guess, but if they can’t get to church, who can? And I like to go in earlier than would be necessary for them to make the trip.

So I ponder.

I doubt if my decision is much different than those made by pastors in other generations. One generation ago, the telephone was the primary way of finding out what was going on. A pastor would make a few phone calls and then make a decision about whether or not to hold church. A couple of generations ago, the pastor probably lived within walking distance of the church and could go over, unlock (if the church was ever locked) and see who came - maybe there was no decision to be made at all. If someone showed up, there’d be church. If not, then the pastor would walk home after a while.

In the past, I’ve said that our standard is whether or not the county has banned travel. If they allow travel, we’ll meet. If they have asked us not to travel, we won’t. I don’t remember a time in recent years when the National Weather Service has advised no travel, but the County hasn’t yet issued a statement.

Perhaps I’m trying to make my decision to early in the day.

But I’m not good at waiting. No good at all.

The forecast is clear. It is going to keep snowing through the morning. We’ve already got a foot and more is on the way. The winds could pick up with daylight. The radar shows a large area of snow with Rapid City at the center. It probably isn’t the best time to head out. If it weren’t for church, I’d probably not be agonizing. I’d just say, “Today isn’t a good day to venture out. We’re safe and warm right here and other things can wait.” Worship, however, is different. I hate to cancel worship. It can’t be rescheduled. We’ll have worship next week, of course, but we never get this week back.

I guess there is a part of me that is still the kid who would venture out in almost any weather. When I started delivering newspapers, they arrived in our town on the railroad, which seemed to run in almost any kind of weather. When they switched to trucks about a year later, I’d be disappointed when the weather got so bad that we didn’t receive our papers. I’d still go out and wait to check. If the papers got to town, my customers had them by 6:30 every morning. I liked the designation of one who wasn’t held back by weather.

But I am older these days. I am more experienced with genuine risk. And I have to make a decision that affects not only me, but a lot of other people.

I guess you’ll have to check the church web site a little later to see what I decide - because I’m still unsure.

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