Rector's Blog: Built for Connection
Yesterday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine held a press conference where he, alongside Director of the Ohio Department of Health, Dr. Amy Acton, set before us the current circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also gave us very clear guidelines and strong recommendations on how to structure our communities for the next few weeks in order to promote health and save lives. Governor DeWine issued an order to ban all large gatherings, saying plainly, “We cannot be in close proximity to each other."
While religious organizations are exempt from this ban, the reasons for the ban are not politically motivated: they are scientifically sound, and are based on the desire to literally save thousands of lives. With this in mind, beginning this Sunday, and for the next three weeks, all common worship will be held exclusively online. There will be no gatherings, meetings, or worship services of any kind at 2944 Erie Ave.
In line with the state’s recommendations, we have made the decision to cancel all events at the church campus until April 5th at the earliest. This includes all weekday events, and all in-person worship services. This will take effect tomorrow, March 14th, at 12:00 pm.
We will have regular worship and prayer online. And we will continue to act with diligence and intention to stay connected to each other throughout the duration of this isolating time. You are not alone. You will not be disconnected. We will be church to and for and with each other in positive, practical, and transformative ways.
This is difficult for us. We share life. We love one another. Being near each other is a defining reality of that shared life. Gathered worship is one of the fundamental ways our community seeks to know Jesus and grow in love. So how can we be church and not gather?
It’s essential at this time, for us to remember why God has called us to be church. We exist to participate with God in the healing of the world. The church is not a building, but a people sent into the world to carry out Christ’s mission. And, of course, Christ’s mission is the healing and restoration of all people.
And the best way for us to participate in the healing and restoration of all people right now is not to gather. As Dr. Acton explains, our goal is to slow the spread of the virus. To be clear, our goal is not to contain or stop the virus. We are limiting our physical contact and proximity to one another because this will slow the rate at which people get sick. When we do this, we give our health care workers a chance to treat everyone in need, we keep the system from being overwhelmed.
Our decision not to gather in person is part of a reasoned state-wide plan to save lives. We are not acting out of fear, but in deep faith that God has work for us to do right now. And we know in our bones that, the same God who is powerfully present in our shared communion meal is likewise present in the world. Our inability to partake in our deeply cherished Eucharistic feast does not mean we are deprived of God’s presence, or fasting from Jesus’ love.
The church seeks to embody Christ’s love and action in the world. So, it matters that we share in this work. Gov. DeWine says, “It is incumbent upon us to protect all of us. It is incumbent upon us to protect our family members and loved ones, but it’s also incumbent upon us to protect total strangers.” We are a community built for connection, rooted and grounded in love, so when the Governor describes our inherent connection and responsibility to one another, we know he’s describing love in action. Our aim is to join in that work.
To that end, I am filled with hope at the creative, loving ways we will continue to care for each other. This community brings me so much joy, and I know we will bring each other great joy in this anxious time. I love you. I’m so grateful we have each other.
Please remember that this situation is temporary. Please look for the eNews in your inboxes tomorrow with updates for the coming days. We will be communicating with you regularly as we fully develop our plan for staying connected. While being apart is difficult, keep faith in the reality that we will all be together in the same room again soon. And remember that no matter where we are physically, we belong to each other spiritually, and we belong to our God utterly.
