From the Rector
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
One of the consistent themes in Scripture is the encouragement to not be afraid. We hear it again and again. Not fearing means knowing that the Lord who gives us our shared ministry and this community plans for our future and will give us hope — plans that will lead to our well-being and will not mean our harm.
In this time of COVID-19 we have had more than enough of fear. It is a time when we feel pressed by the changes and chances of life and it becomes hard to see what is to come. Something I feared when this pandemic began is that it would fracture the community. I feared that not being able to worship together would do huge harm to morale and our sense of connection. I feared that it would do harm to our finances in a year when we were already working hard to close gaps.
Nothing magical has happened. But something really wonderful has — we have seen that the Lord gives us hope for our future even when we can see neither the future nor the hope.
We’ve found ways to stay connected. 3,600 calls have been made by volunteers around the parish to check in on one another. When the fires hit we were on the phones with parishioners who might be impacted to ensure they had what they needed. Parishioners who moved far away have reconnected with our online services. Folks are doing bible studies, classes, coffee hour, and more.
We’ve worshiped. Since the pandemic we’ve done Holy Week and Easter online — something I couldn’t imagine when we realized we’d have to close the buildings down. We have done 22 Sunday morning services online. We have done daily morning prayer online 136 times since beginning to offer it online. We have done a daily online Eucharist 96 times since we began to offer it.
Our online worship has, on average, around 450 people per week attending now. That ranges from 300 to as many as 1500 at Easter. For reference our average in-person attendance in these summer months is usually around 300 in previous years.
Our finances have held steady thanks to your faithful generosity. To those of you who are able to maintain your pledge or offer additional gifts (as some of you have) — thank you! If you are struggling now and unable to maintain giving — please let us know if we can be of any help at all. That’s part of what being in community is about — helping one another through the lean times so that we can rejoice together again.
I say all of this to note that my fears were not unfounded — but I could have paid closer attention to those angelic declarations that we should be not afraid. Thank you for the many ways that you all are praying, serving, loving, giving, and more to make community happen in this strange time. Perhaps the greatest gift we give one another is our gift of being together, one with another, one in Christ through this all.
We are all longing to gather like we remember — yet we’re also being called to live in this current moment with faith, hope, and joy. The Lord knows the plans he has for us — let’s keep trusting them and trusting in the mercy and love that has always carried the Church forward from generation to generation.
Yours in Christ,
Fr Robert