Coronavirus Update
Friends,
As we continue our walk through Lent, we are confronted with some fairly sobering realities that are affecting our common life together as the community of St. Luke’s Church. COVID-19 is indeed a threat the health of many of our more vulnerable members. Governor DeWine has encouraged us to refrain from public outings as the first cases of COVID-19 in the state of Ohio have been confirmed. Many of our colleges have canceled on-site classes and have begun to use remote learning in order to quell the spread of this virus. And with all that is going on, I thought this an appropriate time to let all of you know how St. Luke’s will be responding to all these challenges.
1. Services at St. Luke’s will continue. We will not suspend services at St. Luke’s unless asked to do so by our ecclesiastical authorities or our governing bodies. There will be hand sanitizer available on the table of the Narthex. Please use it upon entering the church. Further, we are asking that everyone refrain from shaking hands or embracing while at church. This is difficult as we genuinely love each other and enjoy expressing that love. But part of our love for each other is making sure that we do not expose vulnerable people to risk. We can still smile and express our love in so many other ways.
2. Church services are optional. Just because our doors are open does not mean that you should feel obligated to be at church. If you are concerned about your health, please know that I support your decision to not be here. If you are feeling unwell, please don’t come. There is no guilt in caring for our common welfare by not exposing yourself or others to illness.
3. We will not offer the Chalice at communion. Until the threat from COVID-19 is minimized, St. Luke’s will not be offering the chalice at communion. I do not do this lightly. But please know that the Eucharist is a complete sacrament in the receiving of the host at the altar. We will still use wine in our Eucharistic prayer, but the chalice will not be offered at the altar rail. Many dioceses are already taking this approach and we will eagerly look forward to the time when we can enjoy the common chalice together.
4. Live streaming our services. We will be making the best possible use of our technology during this time. Last evening, vestry authorized the use of funds to make live streaming of services possible for those who are not able to come to church. Simply put, we want you to be able to worship even if you are not physically at St. Luke’s. So, stay tuned for more information as we deal with the appropriate licenses and technology.
5. No in-home visits. Our Eucharistic Visitors and Friendly Visitors will not be making in-home visits until after the viral threat is minimized. Again, we want to make sure that we are not spreading illness to our more vulnerable members. The office will be creating a call chain and will be reaching out to our home-bound members by phone.
6. Lenten series postponed. I will be postponing our Lenten teaching on resentment and forgiveness until a later time. Part of this decision is my desire that as many people as possible be a part of the teaching. I can imagine that we will have much better attendance if this teaching is offered at an alternative time. A summer offering might be in order.
7. Remain connected. We still need to remain connected. Please... I implore you to make alternative methods of staying connected to the rest of the Body of Christ if you cannot come to church. Check our Facebook page www.facebook.com/stlukesgranville and our website www.stlukesgranville.org for news and connections.
And call me. I will continue to make myself available to all of you and will continue to offer any assistance I can. I can be reached at the Parish House during normal hours, Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, 740-587-0167. My cell phone number is 516-729-8786. Please remain connected and know that you are loved by your church and your priest.
These are indeed challenging times to be the church. But neither illness nor self-care can separate us from the love of God and the love of each other. We will get through this... together. Please take the time to pray for victims of illness. Pray for each other. Pray for me. And pray for our nation and the world. Our Lent has been complicated but it need not be a loss. And I will close this letter with a blessing that I use every Sunday.
Be careful as you go into God’s creation... for it does not belong to you. Be gentle with yourself and with others for we are the dwelling place of the Most High. Be alert... and be silent... for God is a whisper. And the blessing of God Almighty; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be upon you this day and with you always. Amen.
Faithfully,
Fr. Michael