Christ United Methodist Church Family,
Advent greetings to you and yours! As I write, the falling snow outside my living room window is tapering off and has left the largest part of the Ohio Valley blanketed under a sheet of pure white. It’s an external symbol of an internal truth that turns our attention to a obscure Bethlehem stall containing the One we know as the spotless Lamb of God—Emmanuel, the gift of God with us. I pray you join us on this Advent path that points the way to receiving His peace, particularly in a day that’s not so calm and not so bright.
Firstly, after testing positive for COVID-19 on Sunday morning, I want to thank you for the myriad of ways you’ve been reminders of Emmanuel to me and my family. The text messages, phone calls, emails, meals left at the doorstep have nourished us in ways I can’t adequately articulate with words. I’m currently in day 4 of the mandated 10-day quarantine. Much of my earlier symptoms have dissipated enough to compose a cohesive thought (I hope); the kids are still healthy and Emily is awaiting the result of the 2-3 day test following a negative rapid swab on Sunday afternoon. Homeschooling a second grader, wrangling a rambunctious two-year old, nursing a husband back to health and trying to stay active despite feeling crummy herself has been a challenge for Emily and hard for me to remain hands-off. However, we remain positive and look forward to a coming “break in the weather,” so to speak.
Secondly, in relative close succession, the church’s relaunch team convened again on Tuesday evening to dialogue about how we safely and effectively navigate the coming weeks. After an hour or so, it was decided that we will suspend in-person worship effective this Sunday, December 6th through January 10th 2021 based primarily on following reasons:
- Ohio County has moved from orange to red and with the increased number of cases, we’re that much more concerned about not contributing to the spread of the virus.
- While our in-person worship protocol has been sound and we’ve stayed relatively unscathed since July, the viral spread in these winter months poses a challenge for in-person worship, especially (and unfortunately) for Christmas Eve services. The aforementioned worship times of 4pm, 6pm and 8pm were set in an attempt to safely accommodate local families as well as visiting, out-of-town relatives who would invariably be with us over the holidays. For many of us, the hallmark of our holiday revolves around joining family in a sanctuary full of familiar faces in candlelight on Christmas Eve. All of us are fond of those memories. All of us want to facilitate more of those moments. That said, we acknowledge the tension that many of us tow between the sentimentality of previous years and safety for this one. Tuning in virtually from home may not carry the same kind of sentimentality, but it does provide a measure of safety for you and others. In a pandemic, well-being takes precedence over worship preference.
- We’re very much aware of staff members and volunteers whose health is compromised and we want to be diligent in taking every precaution to not expose them unnecessarily.
After the first of the year, once holiday travel lessens, we’ll reassess where we stand with infection rate and make an informed decision about reopening. Until then, it’s assumed that the church will remain open through the week with normal hours of operation.
What does this mean for our worship schedule? Our broadcast will stay at 9:45 am on Sundays with the ability to re-view at any point after 12 noon. After Sunday, our service will be uploaded to the church webpage and social media by Tuesday morning. Furthermore, our Christmas Eve services will stay fixed. Tune in for our kid-friendly service at 4pm followed by a more traditional service at 6pm and 8pm.
Pivoting so close to Christmas isn’t ideal. We understand that; however, it’s our attempt to follow the three simple rules that are a part of our Wesleyan heritage: Do good. Do no harm. Stay in love with God.
Questions? Concerns? Call the church office at 304-242-2455.
Advent Peace,
Pastor Jake