June 10, 2021

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” - John 20:11-15a
 
Dear Leaders of the Pacifica Synod,
 
Ever since the resurrection, we have lived in a time of “now and not yet.” We experience the fruits of salvation and are one with God. But we often experience in this world a lack of peace and justice that is the hallmark of salvation, and at times many of us have felt the absence, rather than the presence, of God in our lives. We look to the future in hope while living in this world as best we can, striving to keep the two great commandments, love God, and love our neighbor as ourselves. We Christians have grown used to living in a time of “now and not yet” for the past two millennia.
 
I think we are in a “now and not yet” time today in regard to living with the reality of COVID-19. The vaccines are allowing people in California and Hawai’i to live less fearful lives. Public health guidance indicates that those who are vaccinated can visit with each other without wearing masks, and without fear of harming one another. Studies show that while the vaccinated might become infected with the virus, they have a very small risk of being hospitalized or dying from it. Therefore, the vaccinated can meet more freely with one another.
 
But not everyone is vaccinated. Some choose not to receive the vaccine. Children, for the most part, have not been eligible to receive a shot. People with auto immune diseases cannot receive a vaccination without putting their own health at risk. And COVID-19 continues to be a deadly threat to those who have not received a vaccine. We are in a “now and not yet” state. We are now safer than we have been since March of 2020, but we are not yet in place where all of our neighbors are safe.
 
In this “now and not yet” time, many of our congregations are beginning to meet for in-person worship. Many congregations are looking for guidance on how to safely come together, and what the best thinking is about appropriate practices while we continue to await a time when all can gather safely. Yesterday, the ELCA, along with the United Methodist, Pan-Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, American Baptist, and Roman Catholic churches issued an updated document on safe practices for in-person worship, Care-Filled Worship and Sacramental Life in a Lingering Pandemic. You can access the document here. This document contains guidance that utilizes CDC protocols to establish safer in-person worship policies and practices.

I will briefly summarize a few of the most practical points:
  • We do not want to stigmatize those who have not received a vaccine. It is odd to play the music for “All are Welcome” if we do not welcome all to worship.
  • Worship is still safest outdoors. If you move indoors, it is important to continue to wear masks and stay physically distanced. Shorter indoor worship services are recommended.
  • Singing and loud speaking spread the aerosols that contain COVID-19 across a wider area. The resource recommends waiting to resume full congregational singing.
  • Communion is safest when the elements are brought to the people, rather than having the people line up to come to the front to receive the elements.
 
There is much more in this document for you to consider, including safe practices for the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. Please read it with your worship planning teams.
 
Also, check with your insurer as to their recommendations for safe practices. I asked Nancy and Jennifer Bond, of Nancy Bond Insurance Services which provides insurance to many of our congregations, for their advice. Here is what they wrote: “Nancy and Jennifer from Nancy Bond Insurance Services recommend that congregations first follow all local, state, and CDC guidelines and regulations that remain. Insurance companies may have differing guidelines, but all ask that you follow laws that apply to you. We encourage you to connect with your trusted insurance broker for guidance on coverage as you reopen. You’ll want to update your insurance policies and obtain specific direction, discuss any changes in your ministries and operations, including your schools and centers, youth programs, mission trips, as well as groups who use your space for their meetings. Your communities may have different needs, and it is important that all feel welcome, comfortable, and safe when returning to in-person worship and ministries. Recommending or encouraging that attendees consider wearing masks and be socially distant may be appropriate still. Keeping up on cleanliness on campus is still crucial. Communicating your continued safety procedures to all will help.”
 
I encourage you to continue to follow your local public health guidelines. Information on what California will require beginning on June 15 is found here. Guidance on when to require wearing facemasks is found here. In Hawai’i, guidance varies from island to island. I have found our Hukilau Conference pastors to be well-versed in what is required, so please check with your pastor on the islands.
 
Finally, I hear many church leaders wondering if their people will come back. I hope and pray that they will. But I also encourage you to look for those who come to worship for the first time. The pandemic has renewed in many a desire to experience the hope and comfort that only God can bring. When Mary went to the tomb, she was asked “Whom are you looking for?” She discovered that the one she was looking for was not the dead, but the resurrected Jesus. People still look for Jesus in this world. Please pay attention to who comes for the first time to your services and see what that says about where God may be leading your congregation next.
 
God be with you as you live through this time of “now and not yet.” May God work in and through you as you share the good news, and through you may your neighbors experience the love, care, and hope that Christ alone can bring.  

Yours in Christ,

Bishop Andy Taylor/he, him, his
Pacifica Synod of the ELCA


Together in Christ we equip, accompany, and serve boldly
so all may experience God’s boundless grace.
Together we are Pacifica Synod.