Dec. 5, 2020 Suspending In-Person Worship
Dear Friends in Christ,
It is with great sadness that I write to cancel all in-person Christ Church events through at least December 23rd. Of particular note, this includes the in-person Holy Eucharist that was scheduled for tomorrow, December 6th. Instead of gathering in-person, we hope that you will join us online at 10:00am for Morning Prayer and at 11:00am for Coffee Hour!
On Thursday when the governor issued the new Regional Stay Home Order, Southern California had an ICU availability rate of almost 21%. This morning that number has dropped to only 13%, triggering the Order’s activation; and so we begin a new phase of our pandemic life together.
While we are confident in the safety of our in-person virus mitigation practices, this is an important time to come together as a community to slow the spread of Covid-19. As Christians, we must stand in solidarity with our friends and neighbors as they do the same, especially in support of our frontline healthcare workers who are at a breaking point. As followers of Christ, we know how to make sacrifices for love, which we are called to do presently.
Our need to suspend in-person services and events is also pragmatic. If an attendee at an in-person service were to test positive at a later date, everyone in attendance—even if masked and socially distant—would be subject to the health department’s mandatory quarantine until it was confirmed that no transmission occurred. The probability of this occurring rises with rising case numbers, especially in this post-Thanksgiving time period.
The good news is that we have each other and ever-expanding ways to connect and worship! Our online service only gets better and better, and Charlette has already been working tirelessly on broadening our production repertoire. And Zoom is not all bad! The Service Ministry had me laughing so hard I was crying for about an hour straight last night at their online holiday party (thank you!). Joy and Jesus are here to be found if we have eyes to see them! The Good News is that God is here with us in this place, in this phase, too. And God’s love for us and our love for each other will carry us through these hard times.
Please join me in praying for all who are sick, suffering, and grieving this day; for they are foremost in our minds, on our hearts, and in prayers.
O merciful Father, who has taught us in your holy Word that
you do not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men:
Look with pity upon the sorrows of your servants for whom
our prayers are offered. Remember them, O Lord, in mercy,
nourish their soul with patience, comfort them with a sense of
your goodness, lift up your countenance upon him, and give
them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Please don’t be shy about reaching out to tell me how you are holding up these days!
Much love,
Mtr Regan
rector@christchurchcoronado.org