This is the beginning of a biweekly blog series in which we seek to address struggle, our tenuous relationship with it, and our hope in the midst of it. As we enter into some of the coldest and darkest months of an already tumultuous season in our nation's history, may we take heart that the struggles we face are no surprise to our Lord and in Him we have reason to hope.
Wherever you are my friends, know that you are loved and greatly valued by your church family. It’s been an especially hard year to feel that love and value. You might be tempted to wonder, “Do these people even miss me?” “Are these relationships still real?”
The answer is simply and unequivocally, YES.
Join us for a Pre-Election PRAYER VIGIL - Monday evening, November 2 from 7:00-8:00PM as we remind each other of our shared hope which transcends partisanship, and pray for the peace and unity of our city and country.All are welcome. Please invite friends, neighbors and Christians from other churches who may be encouraged by our time together.
I’m sure that many of you have been hoping (as have I) that we will be able to meet together, in person, soon. There seems to be an awful lot of chatter this week about “reopening” - with a pretty wide variety of opinions about what we should all do next. Rest assured, I am in regular conversation about this with our Bishop, pastors of other churches, knowledgeable health care providers, our Staff, and our Vestry.
I know you’ve experienced this.
In a moment of well-intentioned extroversion you ask someone, “Is there anything I can do for you?” They kindly and predictably reply, “Please just pray about ________.” To which you instinctively feel the desire to respond, “But, is there anything I can ACTUALLY do for you?”
Me too. It happens all the time. We don’t feel as if we are truly doing someone for each other unless it involves using our hands and feet.
Now - this instinct is both right and wrong - or rather, right and insufficient.
What a strange and trying time this is for all of us. So much has changed so quickly. Just a couple weeks ago, very few of us were taking the threat of coronavirus seriously; and now here we are - social distancing, quarantine, watching countries close their borders, and wondering how long it will be before things return to normal. It’s that last sentiment that I want to address today, “how long will it be before things return to normal?”
As concerns Dear regarding the coronavirus have escalated around the world and in our own country, I have spent much time over the past two weeks talking with our Bishop, other Rectors in our Diocese, many other lead pastors of Richmond churches, as well as our church Wardens and staff about how we as a church can respond wisely and courageously. While we do not yet have a comprehensive strategic plan for the coming weeks and months, here is the temporary plan for the next week.
The global spread of COVID-19, the coronavirus, has become a focus of attention and concern for many of us. I have been reading extensively about it. I have consulted with diocesan leaders, including doctors and scientists with advanced degrees and expertise in virology, immunology and infectious diseases. Drawing on their wisdom, I offer these points:
We are about to enter a special, albeit, mysterious season of the year - the Season of Lent. For some of us, we are already anticipating certain rhythms of fasting and discipline that we will take up. For others of us, we’ve heard people talk about Lent, but the meaning and purpose of this season remain strange and confusing to us. So, to help us as a church family all get on the same page, here is some information that I hope you find helpful…
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