Those of you who have studied the Prayer Book with me in any context know that I am quite fond of the Catechism contained in its pages. It is an outline of the faith, not a comprehensive teaching, and so it’s a great place to turn when I feel the need to get back to basics.
This is such a time. According to the Catechism in the Book of Common Prayer, the Church has one mission and one mission only, although we have several ways of fulfilling that mission.
Q. What is the mission of the Church?
A. The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.
Q. How does the Church pursue its mission?
A. The Church pursues its mission as it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love.
As rector of St. Martin’s, I’m having to make some hard choices about how we pursue our mission at this moment in time, when we are being asked to cancel any large gatherings and practice “social distancing” as a way to help stop or at least slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (also known as Covid-19).
Tonight I’m writing to you mostly to let you know that important conversations are happening and that we will do our very best to keep you informed as decisions are made. I think it might help everyone to know how these decisions are being made. In the past 24 hours, I have had phone conversations with a representative from Yolo County’s Office of Emergency Services as well as the Canon to the Ordinary. I have participated in a Zoom call with Bishop Megan Traquair and other church leaders in our Diocese. I have done as much reading and research as seems advisable and have consulted with the rest of the staff, the Vestry, and others, including clergy colleagues in other congregations and other dioceses.
This morning the staff agreed on several steps we will take in the next few days. I am going to list those below, with the caveat that anything I write here could change overnight, and some of it will almost certainly change by Sunday. I ask your patience and good humor as we move through these challenging decisions. I covet your prayers, encouragement, and feedback. Most of all, I want you to know that every decision we make at St. Martin’s is based on our care and concern for each one of you, and especially for those among us who are the most vulnerable. It seems clear to me that this is all part of our call to proclaim the Good News and promote “justice, peace, and love.”
Remember, if you are sick or even think you might be getting sick, it is better to stay home than to come to church or any public gathering. If your immune system is weak or compromised, we strongly encourage you to stay home. If you need pastoral care or would like us to schedule Home Communion, please email one of the clergy staff or call the office and we will do our very best to be available to you in some form.
Finally, to return again to the basics: take care of yourself, keep an eye out for neighbors who might need help, and always, always, always wash your hands!
Blessings,
Pamela+
The Plan for the Week, as of March 10
Tonight’s lecture on Environmental Justice has been postponed. We hope to reschedule it as soon as we can prudently do so.
Next Tuesday, March 17, our midday Eucharist will most likely be cancelled. A decision about that will be made soon.
Wednesday’s Inwardly Digest class is canceled for this week (March 11). We may decide to offer this as a Zoom class next week or find some other way to move forward. Stay tuned!
Thursday night choir rehearsal March 12 and 19 is canceled.
Friday evening labyrinth walk is still happening—5:30-6:30 pm, on the labyrinth
As of today, we are still planning to have both services on Sunday. We are investigating the possibility of live streaming our 10 o’clock service, probably through Facebook Live.
In addition to the changes we have already made to our Communion practices and the Passing of the Peace, you can expect to see some further changes to our practices.
For instance, we will not use the altar rail for Communion but will have “stations,” two with bread or hosts and two with wine (one of each at the 8 o’clock). We strongly encourage people not partake of Communion if it feels risky or stressful, but to simply receive a blessing. As always, receiving in one “kind” is fully efficacious and valid. With encouragement from our Bishop, we will not be allowing intinction.
Furthermore, we’re learning that handshakes and hugs are more likely to spread viruses than our Communion practices. For that reason, we’re asking for people to refrain from these gestures during the Passing of the Peace. We can instead smile, wave, bow to one another, or even bump elbows. Our Christian love for one another is not changed during times of illness, we just need to find different ways to express it!
Sadly, it seems that gatherings like Coffee Hour are going to need to be very streamlined, if not temporarily eliminated. I will make a final determination before Sunday, but right now my inclination is that we will have Coffee Hour but will not be serving food.
This list is obviously not comprehensive. We are working with groups that meet at the parish to collaborate with them on their own decision-making, and canceling events when it seems prudent to do so.
These are commonsense measures that we can easily implement. We will continue to listen to public health experts and the guidance of the Offices of the Bishop as we monitor the situation with Covid-19 in our area and adjust our practices when and if it is appropriate.