Dear Christ the Redeemer Family,
Several of you have asked me about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and our response at CTR, and I imagine many more of us are pondering these things. As I write this today I am aware that this is very possibly not the only time we will need to address this, and that the situation may change even in the short time it will take for this to get out to you. That may affect some of what I say here, but much of our response as a church will remain the same, no matter what happens (more on that below).
First of all, of course, I encourage us all to be doing those common-sense things we are all being encouraged to do by CDC and others who are trained for these things:
- Encourage any members with symptoms of a cough, sneezing, flu-like symptoms, or a fever within the last 24 hours to stay at home. Know that we will miss you; we want to hear from you and minister to you, but one aspect of your love for the Body of Christ in this time will be for you to stay home and rest and get plenty of liquids and ask our Lord Jesus to draw near to you. Offer yourself, in the boredom of illness, to our Lord and put on some of your favorite sort of music of praise and ask him and his holy angels to minister to you.
- Keep your hands clean by washing them frequently and using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.
- If you must cough or sneeze, cover your nose or mouth, and then dispose of the used tissue.
You can find good information from the CDC about the virus and along the lines of doing these sorts of things to stay well in these useful single-page fliers:
Regarding some of our practices in worship, there are a few questions or concerns that I am hearing:
“I’m concerned I’ll contract something while sharing the Peace.”
It is a wonderful blessing that our worship includes the use of our bodies in various ways that recognize and remind us of deep truths. One of these is our mutual membership in the Body of Christ and the call to love our neighbor that are acknowledged as we share the Peace of Christ. While actual handshaking is best – two bodies meet – in this season it is a good idea to simply give a wave and a smile with the words “the Peace of Christ be with you”.
Regarding some of our practices in worship, there are a few questions or concerns that I am hearing:
“I’m concerned I’ll contract something while sharing the Peace.”
It is a wonderful blessing that our worship includes the use of our bodies in various ways that recognize and remind us of deep truths. One of these is our mutual membership in the Body of Christ and the call to love our neighbor that are acknowledged as we share the Peace of Christ. While actual handshaking is best – two bodies meet – in this season it is a good idea to simply give a wave and a smile with the words “the Peace of Christ be with you”.
“I’m nervous about receiving Communion.”
This one is where one would naturally assume that germs would spread around, though in the past, as I understand it, when this has been reviewed there has been surprisingly little evidence of that. And certainly the common cup and common plate speak powerfully of our being on family in our Lord Jesus. Still, this situation seems to be different and its outcome seems largely unknown, so I am asking that each of us consider the following:
- Bishop Andrew has written to clergy, asking that all servers for any Eucharist be sure to thoroughly wash their hands before the service begins and use hand sanitizer just before the Distribution of the elements, and we will be adopting this practice.
- If you are concerned about receiving the elements there are a few possibilities: you may come forward for a blessing only – simply crossing your arms across your chest. Or you may choose, exceptionally and for this season but not as our regular practice, to receive only in one kind (taking the host and not the wine).
- Depending on how things develop we may also consider other options.
“Are we going to close for a while?”
We do not know what is going happen with the virus – how far the virus will spread, how long this will last, and so on. We will continue to pay attention and will make that decision as the situation develops.
If necessary we will plan to make some aspect of at least teaching and prayers available on video, but we are not in that place at this time. Our sermons are, as always, available as audio online here.
Carrying On Regardless…
Dear friends in Christ- whatever comes, of one thing we must be determined: we will not stop being the church! This situation, during this Lenten season, in which every year we recall our finitude and limits, gives us the opportunity to acknowledge things that are true all the time anyway, but which we are oft able to deny and ignore: we are mortal; we are dependent on our God and on others; life – even each and every day – is a gift to be lived in gratitude and love. Our hope is in Christ, in the redemption he has won for us; in his kingdom which has been established and which will, one day, be consummated and fully-manifest! So let us live into the greater hope that we have – fearing nothing, certainly not death.
This is also a good time to remember in prayer people in the poor nations of the world, who perhaps do not have access to good health care or who may not be well-nourished in general.
Our Book of Common Prayer has some wonderful prayers in the back. I commend two of them to you at this time:
Most loving Father, you will us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on the One who cares for us. Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested unto us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Increase, O God, the spirit of neighborliness among us, that in peril we may uphold one another, in suffering tend to one another, and in homelessness, loneliness, or exile befriend one another. Grant us brave and enduring hearts that we may strengthen one another, until the disciplines and testing of these days are ended, and you again give peace in our time; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
May Jesus Christ be praised,
Tim+
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