March 14, 2020
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
I am writing to tell you that, at the recommendation of our bishops in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are suspending public worship services at St. John’s for at least the next two Sundays.
Bishop Ian and Bishop Laura have been in touch with the clergy in the diocese several times this week concerning the growing crisis. The last communication was a pastoral letter, yesterday afternoon, to everyone in the ECCT. To quote from that letter:
“Our primary advice and counsel are that we should do all in our power to mitigate the speed of COVID-19….Medical and health=professionals, epidemiologists, and government officials all agreethat the best way to [do that] is to reduce human contact and practice “social distancing”. To that end we strongly encourage the clergy and lay leadership of ECCT parishes to decide against holding public worship for at least the next two weeks….”
I firmly agree with this recommendation; and we have to be prepared for the possibility that it’s going to be a good bit more than two weeks. The coronavirus is spreading across the whole country, and though we don’t know how many it will infect (that’s part of the problem), we do know that it can be lethal and that it is ten times as lethal as standard influenza. We need to do everything we can – all of us – to slow its spread. This is truly a matter of loving our neighbor as ourselves.
Churches throughout the ECCT will, electronically, be providing liturgical worship experiences of various kinds during this period. We at St. John’s will begin tomorrow with a video recording of the service of Morning Prayer, which you can access through the church website (stjohnsepiscopal-newmilford.org).
I encourage you to do so, not only for the service itself, but some wonderful excerpts from the Bishops’ pastoral letter which I include. You are also invited to join our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, in celebrating the Eucharist at the National Cathedral (which has suspended worship as well.) Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUGZLwnLhUU
We will get through this. Our neighbors, our community, our country, and our world need us to act in this difficult time as the Body of Christ, witnessing to the power of God’s love. Keep in prayer; and remember that God is always with us, and God will strengthen us. May God bless us all.
Faithfully,
Jack