Easter Thank Yous, Communion Reflections, and News About Sabbatical
Greetings to you all. I pray you are hanging in there a we continue to stay in our homes. It was so great to hear from so many of you after Easter that you felt connected through our worship services and your Easter surprise. In this weird liminal time, it is my hope we can stay connected as much as possible. I have a few logistical things that I wanted to wait until after Easter to share with you.
First, I want to thank everyone who made our Easter Surprise that was delivered this past week possible. Thank you to Sarah who was well prepared for this in having ordered everything well in advance. We had not anticipated the level of sanitary-ness necessary when we ordered everything, but she was so far ahead in her planning that we realized we had a long period of quarantine for everything in the package and a way to pack and deliver that was safe. I also want to thank our friend David Babikow who was able to find us lily bulbs in the midst of restricted international trade! Thank you so much to all who had reached out to me to offer to help with any need and who rose to this occasion to deliver all the packages: Leona Baker, the Biagiolis, Mike Fuizat, Melissa Peter, The Sillimans, the Stuckeys, the Todds, Karen Walrond, the Weises, the Wises, the Wrights, and the Yardleys. If you didn't get a package, let us know! The wonderful spirit of these people and so many more who have offered to help with things is a testament to how wonderful our community is! Thank you!
Second, We will be mailing our annual Easter Letter this week, so please keep an eye out. We have sent it before Easter most of my years here, but Easter is a season, and there are a few things that are different about this year! So please look for that letter to come in the coming week.
Third, when we first started doing these recorded services, we didn't think that it would last this long. I recall that first week when we recorded enough music for two weeks thinking that might get us through. Little did we know! We have intentionally offered worship as we all know it in order it to bring the comfort of consistency. We have had clear instructions from the Bishop that we can't gather for or deliver communion in any way right now. We are thinking about some minor changes that will hopefully acknowledge the pastoral challenges of being a community in which we can't all receive communion together. It didn't make sense to make such changes in the middle of Holy Week, but now that we know this period may last a bit longer, we will consider how best to adjust and proceed. I offer this because it has become heavy on my heart even as I have received only positive feedback about our online worship from you all for which I am grateful!
Last, some of you have asked about my sabbatical this summer. For more than a month, I have spent time talking and praying with Sarah. I discussed my desire with the Vestry and Bishop Fisher, and we have all agreed that I will postpone my sabbatical. Even more than a month ago I could not imagine a scenario where I would feel ok leaving for an extended period after we had all been through this together. I want to see you when it becomes possible and be with you in whatever is to come next. So, I just wanted to share that with you in case you had any concerns.
In all that we do in the coming weeks, I pray we will be opened up to know more deeply our need of God and the relational way in which we were created. It is not natural for us to be away from each other and I can feel that deeply right now. God has, is, and will redeem all that is broken and all that is separated. He is not only in this with us, but as always in all that we do He is for us, our savior and our advocate. I pray that the Easter blessing will offer comfort and peace.
See you in virtual church!