Dear Saint Philippians,
Many of you have written and emailed to thank us for last Sunday’s online service; we are delighted that it was a blessing. As we move forward, still uncertain as to how long we will be prevented from worshipping together in the church, I want to provide you with some sense of what you may expect in the weeks to come. Because the situation is fluid, these plans are subject to change, but for now they represent the thinking of the clergy and lay leadership.
- Worship will continue to be broadcast online so long as the authorities allow and the staff is not placed at risk.
- During Holy Week we hope to broadcast Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter services. There will be NO Maundy Thursday service this year.
- Online Bible studies and classes will be offered beginning the week after Easter but are subject to the limits of technology.
Please be patient with the clergy and lay staff during this time of transition. We want to provide you with as many services and online offerings as we can, but we are facing new challenges and a steep learning curve. Also, many of our parishioners may find technology challenging, and because of the required self-distancing, may not be able to find assistance or avail themselves of the opportunities for online learning.
Bishop Salmon used to say, “All change is loss,” and we have experienced a great deal of change over the course of the past few weeks. It is a loss and it is painful. We miss being with you, seeing your smiles and hearing your laughter, but your faces are ever before us as we say our prayers. Until we can work through all the technological challenges and the Holy Week schedule, you are encouraged to
make use of our online archives
. We have four years of classes, sermons, and lectures that you can access from the parish website. Below you will also find a link to a sermon I delivered on suffering––a topic very much on everyone’s mind these days.
Finally, please pray for the continued health and well-being of the parish staff. All of our plans are subject to our people remaining healthy, and this is especially true when it comes to broadcasting Sunday services. In the meantime, we will press ahead––toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus!
Faithfully Yours,
Jeff+
