Dear Church of St. Martin,

Only a few days ago I sent out a message explaining that we would be canceling or postponing many events in the next week or so, but were not yet planning to cancel worship.

If you have received the email that went out from the Office of the Bishop late this afternoon, then you know that the situation has changed. For those who haven’t seen the message, Bishop Megan wrote the following:

“In my pastoral opinion and to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, l am directing all our congregations to cease gathering for regular Sunday worship beginning this Sunday, March 15, 2020, and to offer worship using online tools. 

I will consider a return to physical gatherings in our sanctuaries in a number of weeks or as circumstances warrant.”

There are two very important things I want to emphasize right now:

First, I know this is really hard for a lot of us. It’s especially heartbreaking for those who have limited opportunities to be in community during the week. We are all part of one Body, created by God for intimacy and relationship, and thus isolation is not good for our souls. The feelings of sadness, anxiety, and more that this decision elicits are all valid and real.

Second, I support the Bishop’s decision. Other churches in our area are making the same hard, gut-wrenching decisions–not all of them, but many. Taking this step is one way that we can show solidarity with one another and responsible cooperation with public health officials. It is doing our part to spread the slow of this contagion. Nobody makes these decisions lightly and I am grateful for the leadership the Bishop is offering us.

Please know that our community remains strong even when we can’t be together in person. We will be sending out another update tomorrow (Friday, March 13, 2020) with specifics about how you can participate “virtually” in Sunday worship. The leadership at St. Martin’s is also actively planning ways that we can be in touch with people who are not regularly on email.

If you have any worries about anyone in our parish community who you think is isolated or in distress and would benefit from a call from clergy, please don’t hesitate to let us know. Caring for one another is everyone’s responsibility, especially in times of illness and anxiety. There is every reason to hope that this experience can actually bring us closer together, as we find new ways to exhibit our love and mutual concern.

Blessings,

Pamela+