Dear St. John's Community,
You may have heard in the news today that the President has called to reopen all churches this weekend. He is saying that by deeming houses of worship as essential services, governors cannot keep them closed.
We will be following the direction of our Diocese on when and how to reopen. Earlier this week we were given these
guidelines and parameters.
It will be a very gradual process, and there still is no definite date for when we can move to live and in-person services again. (I like the Bishop's term "re-gathering" as opposed to "re-opening" because we have in fact remained open!)
The wardens, staff, vestry and I are actively exploring what form of re-gathering will be best for us. While the Diocese has given us parameters for what we can do, we do not have a playbook. Therefore, this continues to be a time that calls for creativity and inspiration.
I have been reflecting this week on how much we have learned. I am amazed at how agile the church has been during this challenging time. Even as we've been having to pull our operations back in certain ways, we have also seen growth in other ways. Members are actively connecting with one another. Our services are being shared around the world. New outreach initiatives are springing up. I pray that we will continue to look for God in our midst as we support one another with compassion and patience.
As I have said before, we are in the middle of a marathon and not a sprint. I am grateful for all of you as we run it together.
God's peace,
Rob+
