What does it mean to be church in the midst of a pandemic, and what will it mean to be church as we begin to glimpse life beyond being fully defined by COVID-19?

These questions have been front and center for the conversations between Lutheran Center Director Deanna Thompson and Rev. Ingrid Rasmussen, Lead Pastor, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, Rev. Augustin Muthusami, chair of the Lutheran Church in Malaysia’s Faith and Order Commission and pastor at Luther House Chapel near Kuala Lumpur, and Dr. Diana Butler Bass, author, speaker, and commentator on religion and contemporary spirituality.

The second conversation is with Rev. Augustin Muthusami, a Malaysian pastor Deanna met when they both were part of a Lutheran World Federation panel on “Being Lutheran: Real Presence in the Digital Church.” Their conversation explores Malaysian churches’ response to the pandemic and how the practices of being the body of Christ in virtual ways is impacting Malaysian churches’ understanding of their mission and ministry in a hurting world.