Friday Message

What's Coming!

September 11, 2020

Ordinary Time

I noticed staff at a local store putting out Halloween candy in mid-August. For a moment, let’s think about what Halloween might look like in the midst of a pandemic.

It’s doubtful that many parents will feel comfortable having their children go house to house, fishing candy out of big bowls offered by strangers. How many hands will have smushed each mini chocolate bar? Not a comforting thought.

It’s also doubtful that many of us who have been making our homes into sanctuaries during the pandemic will now want to open our doors to strangers screaming “Trick or treat!” either. I may deliver a few Halloween goody bags to those I know and love, but, sadly, I don’t imagine that I will be giving out candy to children at my front door this year.

Yet the store is stocking up for the holiday as if everything were proceeding as usual.

Which has me thinking; about this time of year I start receiving Advent resources. Books, candles, calendars, sheet music, pageant scripts, sacred knickknacks -- all for sale, all promising delivery well before the first Sunday of Advent. It is hard for me to imagine that we will be celebrating Advent as usual this year. All those seem more suited to a world that isn’t currently here.

A colleague in another city posted to Facebook last week that his congregation has already decided to suspend all in-person worship and activities well into January 2021. It’s too risky for too many, they decided. Even with masks and physical distancing. They do not want to exclude from sharing in worship those who have preexisting conditions or those who are vulnerable. A hybrid setup allowing small groups of the healthy and comfortable to gather in person while others are left to watch a livestream from home can feel like something less than Christian community.

Like our neighbouring churches, we are discussing our plans for reopening without knowing what is ahead for us, but with faith and hope. We may still be able to offer some kind of in-person worship responsibly in December. Maybe COVID-19 will slow its spread. Maybe flu season will delay its arrival. Maybe researchers will discover that we can sing “Silent Night” while holding our candles and not spread the disease. Maybe.

I am growing tired of the emotional whiplash of the perpetual back-and-forth between hoping and planning to gather in person and then seeing that delayed for another two, four or six weeks -- or postponed indefinitely. Like many of you, I would love some clarity.

When we couldn’t worship in person at Easter, it was heartbreaking. But in the early days of the pandemic, we thought we’d be out of our building only for a few weeks and we adapted in order to keep everyone safe. Six months in, we have to accept that this Advent and Christmas are not going to be the same. We can take time to grieve that loss and then we can find hope in the possibility of using our imagination and creativity to create something new.

Almost every clergyperson and worship leader I have talked with in the last two months has described feeling exhausted, with little, if any, creative energy left. We will need others to help us dream what’s possible and help us make it happen. As this year has proved, it takes the gifts of the whole church for us to be the church.

What can we imagine?

Kathi

This Week at EMUC

UPDATE on WORSHIP SERVICES

At its August 25 meeting, the Leadership Circle decided that EMUC will continue to conduct Sunday services on the Zoom platform to the end of September. At this time there are too many unknowns, e.g., what will happen with the return to school and also the possibility of a second wave of the virus. The majority of the congregation is at a higher risk level being in vulnerable age and/or health groups. The safety of the congregation is the priority. The possibility of returning to the building for worship will be reassessed again at the September Leadership Circle meeting. Further information will be provided in the upcoming newsletter.

Sunday September 13:

10:00 a.m.: Online Worship and Communion led by Rev. Kathi

Please have some Bread/crackers and juice ready to celebrate Communion

Monday September 14:

7:00 p.m.: Bible Study via Zoom

Wednesday September 16:

6:45 p.m.: Prayer Service via Zoom

What's Coming!

Summer Office Hours:

Tina will be in the office on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

She can be at the church on an “as needed” basis on other days, but this needs to be arranged in advance with an email or with a message left with the office.

Reopening Committee

The EMUC COVID-19 Reopening Committee has been meeting regularly throughout the summer. The number of active COVID-19 cases in Peel has dropped, allowing the region to reopen more. The numbers are better, but COVID-19 continues to be found in the Peel community. We are watching to see if the regional and provincial reopenings and the upcoming start of school have an impact on the spread of COVID-19.

Zoom worship services will continue through September, offering us worship with our church community in the safest way. We can see each other on Zoom without masks, without hand sanitizer...without the risks that meeting in person would present. Remember that however we meet for worship, we are together as a church and faith community.

Visitors are now welcome in the sanctuary! By appointment only! Please call Tina Driscoll to make an appointment and get the details on protocols for visiting. Tina is at the office Tuesdays and Fridays, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

EMUC is also making progress on opening to renters, with limited numbers allowed in, protocols for entry/exit, mask-wearing, and physical distancing. Measures will be implemented to ensure that the space is properly cleaned.

The Leadership Circle will be meeting on September 15 and will discuss the COVID-19 reopening situation. We will update you again as things evolve. Stay healthy and stay safe!

Join TAGS – Another Way to Connect

Recently we launched EMUC’s TAGS community on Facebook. TAGS stands for “Talking About God Stuff”. This is a closed or private group on Facebook in which people can post or ‘discuss’ various topics each week. Only members of the group receive the posts and only members may post and participate in the discussion. The group is moderated by Rev. Kathi Phillips and administered on by Barb Jennings. Each week a question or topic for discussion will be posted by Rev. Kathi and received by the members. During the week you can add to the discussion by posting your thoughts, opinions or related stories. If you are familiar with our worship service, this is like the question Kathi poses during the service. The discussion posts will be monitored and answered each day.

Invitations to join the group will be sent to those in the congregation already on Facebook. Hopefully you will invite other friends to join the group to enlarge the conversation and the connection, both within the congregation and also reaching out to those in the community. If you are not on Facebook and would like to participate, it is easy to download the Facebook app (it’s free), set the privacy to the highest level i.e. friends, and then join the EMUC’s TAGS group. If you need help with this let us know.

Get involved! Participate!

Fundscrip Fundraising Gift Card Program is back in September!!

We are happy to announce that anyone interested in purchasing Fundscrip cards in September will be able to do so by following the procedures listed below;

1. Email Joanne Hines at twokids@rogers.com to receive an order form.

2. If you already have an order form, send an email to Joanne Hines with your order by Thursday, September 24.

3. Take the cheque or cash for your order amount and drop it off with Tina in the church office (Tina’s office hours are Tuesdays, and Fridays, but call ahead to be sure) or take your cheque or cash directly to Mike Ogilvie by Friday September 25

4. Your order will be placed on Sunday, September 27 and will arrive at the church office sometime on Thursday, October 1.

5. Arrange to pick up your order from the church office anytime after Thursday, October 1.

Thank you for your support of this fundraising project and please contact Joanne Hines if you have any further questions.

Deacon’s Cupboard Food Drive - The Fundscrip Way!

During this exceptional time, the Deacon’s Cupboard has been unable to provide food directly to its guests. Instead, they are distributing grocery store gift cards to those in need. If you would like to help them continue with that mission, please consider purchasing a Fundscrip card at the end of September (orders will be placed on Sunday September 27) and have it donated to the Deacon’s cupboard. Your donation tax receipt will be issued by St. Peters Erindale Anglican Church.

Simply email Joanne Hines at twokids@rogers.com by September 24 and make an order for a grocery card. Preferred denominations for the Deacon’s cupboard would be $25 or $50 cards. Take your cheque for the order to Tina at the church or to Mike Ogilivie. When the cards arrive, your designated donated cards will be given directly to the volunteers at the Deacons cupboard.

Thank you for your consideration in helping with this important mission.

Donations to EMUC

Some of you have asked how you can make donations to operations, mission and service, the benevolent fund, and the Deacon’s Cupboard. You can donate through Canada Helps by going to www.emuc.ca or by mailing a cheque to EMUC at 3010 The Collegeway, Mississauga, ON., L5L 4X9. Please mark the envelope "Attention Envelope Secretary".

Please note that Deacon's Cupboard would prefer to receive financial donations rather than actual food donations because the church remains closed so that managing food is difficult. The Cupboard is giving only vouchers to its guests. They are open only on Wednesdays and not on Monday evenings for the duration of the pandemic.

Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support.

EMUC Finance Committee

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