Rector's Reflections: All things new!

Dear Friends,

On March 8th 2020, we gathered for the last time in the pews of a 100 year old sanctuary on E. Central Street.

Since then we have worshipped on FaceBook, YouTube, Zoom, and the website. We have worshipped on couches, in cars, around backyard fire pits, and from under our quilts and comforters. We have created safe space to gather in Sherrill hall and beautiful vestments to fit that space. We have worshipped in masks, in our slippers, in gardening clothes, bathing suits, and PJs, or bundled up in 10 layers to worship outdoors. For we have also gathered in the church yard, in backyards, and in the woods.

God has poured us out and shaken us up; toasted us in the sun, frozen us in the wind, and kept us on our toes.

And now we have a plan to reenter the sanctuary. In honor of all those who have gone before us, all those who have worshipped and prayed in the church these past 100 years, we will return to the pews for All Saints Sunday, November 7th, 2021; one year and 8 months since we walked out not knowing we would need to physically stay away in order to keep one another safe.

We will return to this old space and this old liturgy together quite changed. It will not be the same. Seating will be limited, and we will still need to sign up, even though the capacity of the church is larger than the capacity of Sherrill Hall. Your favorite pew may be roped off to give everyone 6' of space from other households (in accordance with diocesan guidelines), and besides, one of our safety-trained ushers may seat you in a whole different part of the church than you've ever sat in before. Maybe you will sit in a place where your perspective will be new, and thus in line with everything else. For even in this old space, with these old words we pray, and old hymns we sing, God is making all things new. All things. How terrifying. How hopeful.

I look forward to discovering what God has in store for us as we gather to worship together in the sanctuary in November, as we approach the hope-filled season of Advent, and as we continue to let God pour us out all over the world in new ways.

In Christ,

+Becky