In the best interest of our health and safety, the vestry and I have decided to continue with drive-in church for the foreseeable future. We know this announcement will disappoint some who were looking forward to coming back inside. But new statistics have caused us to reconsider.
As we walk the Jesus story with Matthew’s gospel in this later part of the Pentecost season, the gospel readings will speak more and more about Jesus’ sacrificial love. In this COVIDTIDE season of our life together, our walk of love has a sacrificial component to it as well. We are having to sacrifice many things that we feel important for identifying us as the people of Emmanuel, chiefly worshipping inside.
But in this time, we must be mindful of how we are good care takers of each other.
We are not only protecting those present but also those with whom they will have contact.
So worship will continue to be different. We strive to make changes that do not strip away all of what we believe about the power of our liturgy to mold and transform us a people of God. We are having to put some new wine into these old skins! And I know most of us do not like it. I do not as well.
However, the vestry and I feel we must be careful about calling us back together. Hospitalizations have recently gone up and there is an uptick of the spread once again in our area.
In this “Covidtide” the indoors criteria is about not only duration and droplets but also aerosol transmission. So, the changes we make, and will make, will attend to that criteria. All these changes are to help us be safer and slow the spread of this virus.
This concern for the health of those who may come into contact with us is a way we Love Godand each other. We do so, yes, out of an abundance of caution but more so out of an abundance of Christian love for our each other; for our Neighbor.
Being attentive to what we do, and what we are asked to do, is never more important. We must commit ourselves to new and intentional ways of being together. This is walking in love.
And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep us all.
So come tomorrow and drive-in. Come help us reflect on the mind of Christ.
Come in joy to meet the Lord! (Click on this link to hear a beautiful version of this hymn!
