Dear Friends in Christ,
Today Governor Walz
further lifted restrictions
on houses of worship. In the Episcopal Church in Minnesota, the policies announced as
phase 1.5 of our re-entry plan
last week remain unchanged. Small groups of those necessary to livestream worship from church buildings may do so if faith leaders so choose, and all other gatherings remain suspended. We know that cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in Minnesota, and that the most effective way to save lives is to stay at home as much as possible.
We are committed to following the way of Jesus as our standard. As much as we long to return to worshipping in person, and as painful as it is to be separated from one another, the way of Jesus in this moment calls us to sacrifice some of our own preferences in order to do all we can to slow the spread of the pandemic, and to protect those most vulnerable, to whom Jesus always draws particularly close.
While we are separated from our buildings, we know that our churches are not closed. The people of ECMN continue to find ways to follow Jesus together, and join what the Spirit is up to in their neighborhoods under these extraordinary circumstances. It is our deepest joy and privilege to walk with you.
