Haga clic aquí para ver el mensaje de esta semana en español de nuestro misionero latino, Luis Valencia. 

From the Rector
The Rev. Dr. Jared C. Cramer, SCP
 
Normally about this time you would be getting the e-newsletter for this week, but I'll send that out later today. Instead, I have an important announcement to make.

Effective immediately, I am moving St. John's back to Phase One of our parish plan for Faithful Ministry in the Pandemic. Let me explain where this plan comes from and what that means for St. John's going forward. 

Earlier this week, as case numbers began to rise, I realized that the plan under which we had been operating was a re-entry plan—one that helped us slowly and safely begin to re-engage our ministry. What we were in need of was a new plan, one that would tell us how to move forward with further engagement but also one that would have clear metrics that would put limitations back in place to keep our members and community safe.

With the help of our Coronavirus Response Team (CRT), our parish staff, and the Vestry, we developed a plan to guide us in the next several months of this pandemic, one with clear metrics and guidelines for when we needed to increase limitations and when we could reasonably and safely begin to ease those limitations. The plan has three phases of existence for the church while the pandemic continues:

• Phase One: Stay at Home, Building Closed, Essential Services Continued — Under this Phase the building is entirely closed except for essential services. Outreach ministry is curbside or appointment. Worship is streamed from the church with as few present as possible. (This is for when the risk level at the County or Region are at their highest level).
• Phase Two: Building Open by Appointment, Limited Worship — This is the Phase we have been under, where we do have some in-person engagement and allow very limited attendance at worship at the church under strict guidelines.
• Phase Three: Building Reopens for Limited Ministry / Worship Restrictions Eased – In this final phase, if the risk level for both the County or Region are are at their second lowest level, we will decrease our distancing at worship from twelve feet to six feet and also allow, on a case by case basis, some in-person ministry so long that mask and distance guidelines are followed.  

You can read all the details of this plan, including the implications for all the various ministry areas online here. The final page of the plan also has details for how our congregation will respond if a staff member or a parishioner who has been on campus develops COVID-19.

Just a few hours after completing the first draft of the plan, the risk factor for Ottawa County was elevated to critical. The plan requires that elevation to remain for 48 hours, in order to ensure that it is not a statistical blip. It has remained and the the infection rate has actually continued to increase in the past two days. This is why we are now moving back to Phase One, with the building closing and attendance at worship ending, until the risk factors decrease to a level below critical.

Now, let me tell you what this means for SJE as we move forward.

I have closed attendance at worship this Sunday. Specifically, that will mean:

• The 8:30am Liturgy has a scheduled baptism. All attendees and non-essential worship ministers have been removed from attendance so that those sponsoring the baptism may be present. This basically turns this into a private baptism, which has been my practice earlier in this pandemic. 
• The 10am Liturgy only had one household signed up to attend and that household has not attended any worship services in the building prior to now. I have removed all non-essential worship ministers so that one household which had already signed up may attend if they choose—knowing that we will all remain far away from them. It will be streamed online, as planned. 
• The 12:45pm Liturgy in Spanish had no one signed up to attend and so will simply revert to a streamed service with only the essential worship ministers. 

After this Sunday, our worship practices will be:

• The 8:30am liturgy is cancelled.
• The 10:00am liturgy will continue to be streamed in our parish YouTube channel. Based upon feedback from the poll in our Members Facebook Group, the service will be liturgy of the word (basically Eucharist but ending after the sermon and prayers). Once a month, on the first Sunday of the month, it will be Holy Eucharist. I'll say more on that below. Any sung music will be offered by a pre-recorded virtual choir (contact Nick if you want to help with singing the hymns) and the readings and prayers will be pre-recorded as well, like they were earlier in the pandemic. 
• The 12:45pm liturgy will continue to be streamed on the Spanish-language Facebook Page, also with Liturgy of the Word. I alternate leading that liturgy with Luis, so that I can limit my exposure to people outside of my household but still maintain some connection with our Latino members.
• Weekday services of Holy Eucharist are cancelled until further notice. Instead I will resume Noonday Prayers on Facebook Live, Monday through Thursday. 

We will continue these worship practices for now. If the government issues a new shelter-in-place order, or if the diocese instructs us to return home or cease communion, or if Nick and I feel like the danger has become greater, we nat name additional change. 

You may ask, if no one can attend other than a few people, why continue to have Holy Eucharist at all. There are three reasons.

1. Because, as the BCP says, Eucharist is the sacrament "commanded by Christ for the continual remembrance of his life, death, and resurrection, until his coming again." That is, we offer this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving in obedience to Christ's command.
2. The reception of Holy Eucharist is not the primary point of the liturgy. Eucharist is many things, including the oblation (offering) of ourselves, our souls and bodies, in the Eucharistic prayer. It is a making present again (anamnesis) of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. It is a joining of our own offering with that of Christ as a means of grace in this world. And the entire church is never present for ever offering of Holy Eucharist, so each and every one is always offered on behalf of those who cannot be there. (Maxwell Johnson, a Lutheran and one of the greatest liturgical scholars of our time, has written powerfully about just this point online here.) 
3. By continuing the liturgy once a month, it ensures I have the sacrament reserved in the tabernacle in case I need to bring someone communion or even, God-forbid, bring someone last rites. This does mean that even during Phase One if you are desirous of receiving the sacrament, I will meet you outside of the church or come to your home and give it to you either outside or in your garage with the garage door open. Masks will be worn the entire time (except for the moment you consume) and distance will be maintained. 

As to other ministries in the church, I would commend the plan to you for details. The building is closed, there are no appointments allowing people to be present in the building other than essential staff. Loving Spoonfuls and the Food Pantry will continue on a take-out or appointment basis. Faith formation will continue in a virtual format as well. 

Like many of you, I am disappointed by this change but I truly believe it is what is needed to keep us all safe. Worship ministers will be receiving a separate email from me through the MSP program shortly with next steps. 

Please stay safe. Wash your hands. Maintain distance. Wear a mask. We will get through this together. 

Warmly,