Ready for Return to In-Person worship? Register!
Online worship will continue indefinitely, but beginning Sunday, you will have an opportunity to worship and receive Holy Communion in person in the church sanctuary. The Executive Team has done an outstanding job of getting everything ready. I still strongly encourage everyone to read the Plan of Return to In-Person Worship document, and then decide if you will come. If you you, you are asked to register, which you can do here. If you plan to come, but haven't registered yet, do so now. It will take less than 30 seconds. Again, the registration form can be found here.
Bishop Eaton will provide Trinity message
Our Presiding Bishop, Elizabeth Eaton, will provide the sermon for our worship on Sunday, both online and our first in-person worship, as we celebrate Holy Trinity Sunday. Bishop Eaton has provided her message in video format, but because of our lack of technical equipment to either stream or show the video for the in-person service, I will be reading a transcript of the sermon. For me, it is a welcome break, and for the congregation, well, you will see that Bishop Eatons sermon is shorter than what I normally offer. I have viewed the sermon and it proclaims faithfully the Trinity in the context of our current situation of Covid-19 and the extrajudicial deaths of black citizens.
Zoom Meeting with Bishop Daniel
Synod congregational leaders met on Tuesday for our weekly Zoom meeting. Bishop Daniel shared six words with us that have helped him manage what he calls is "a troubling time for our nation." Those six words are:
- Pause
- Listen
- Pray
- Learn
- Humbly Accompany
Bishop Daniel included the entirety of his Zoom message to us in his weekly email. Your can read that message here.
Worship committee
Worship Committee met Thursday morning. We reviewed the details for the return of in-person worship on Sunday. Some details of our discussion:
- Paul and Chris will rotate on an every-other-week basis as organist. Both will play on July 5
- Pat will be the reader for June
- Jan will be the "designated speaker and singer" for worship, as congregation will be discouraged from speaking and singing so that we limit risk of spreading the coronavirus
- Jan will cover changing paraments. Back to green on June 14 for rest of summer
Education Team
The Education Team met Wednesday evening. The main agenda for the meeting was planning the logistics for an online version of VBS, with music, activities and lessons being videoed remotely, and then Heather will use her vast array of technical and multi-media skills to put them all together into a video that would air every evening. We are looking to this the last week of July. I think this is going to be really good!
Bishop Eaton's Letter
Christ, the cornerstone, has already broken down the wall that divides us. Our Presiding Bishop, Elizabeth Eaton, reminds us that "This is the day" to stand with those who have been denied the rights and dignity so many of us expect and often take for granted. You can read Bishop Eaton's message here.
Sarah's University statement
My daughter, Sarah, who is a PhD student at Utah State, shared on her Facebook page a Message of Solidarity prepared by the College of Science Graduate Student Council, which declares that it "stands in solidarity with, and support of, the Black community as well as all others affected by systemic injustice." You can read the entirety of the statement (it's not long, three paragraphs) here. My question is this. We have not yet done something like this, and I'm wondering if it's something that we should do. If a student organization at a secular educational institution is willing to take a stand like this, shouldn't we, as a congregation take a similar stand? Here is what our Constitution says in our Statement of Purpose in C4.02.d:
To participate in God's mission, this Congregation as a part of the Church shall: Serve in response to God's love to meet human needs, caring for the sick and the aged, advocating dignity and justice for all people, working for peace and reconciliation among the nations, and standing with the poor and powerless, and committing itself to their needs.
Let me know what you think.
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