UPDATE 3rd Sunday in Lent: Sunday Worship & Gatherings; Bishops' Pastoral Letter; Say Your Prayers & Wash Your Hands

Dear Hearts,
 
Some of you may remember the message of Bishop John Bryson Chane at our Celebration of New Ministry in May of 2010.  "Be nimble," he said at least five times during his charge to you and to me.  Our current circumstances certainly call on us to, "Be Nimble!"   In response to the changing circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic, our Bishops strongly urged additional measures in a letter sent early yesterday (Friday) evening.  So, being nimble, we will:

• offer worship services at 8 and 10a.m. for the whole parish - -whether or not  folks attend;
• ask family groups to distance themselves throughout the nave;
• offer only the Eucharistic bread for communion;
• the Rectory Forum, Sunday School, Youth Program and Coffee Hour will be suspended for the balance of March; and,
• we will greet one another with big smiles and nods, and at most an elbow bump.

During both services, I will read a Pastoral Letter from our Bishops,"Following Jesus in the Midst of a Pandemic,"  It will be printed for you to take with you.  For those who won't be attending, you can find it by clicking here.  I commend it to you.

Tyler Jarvis, our Director for Children & Youth Ministries, will be sending materials to Sunday School and youth families including the popular "Sunday Paper."  Parents can read this with their children, and the children can color the images to their hearts' content.

Mark Sullivan would appreciate hearing from volunteers with up-to-date I-Phones to Livestream our Sunday Services on at least March 22 and 29.  Mark has the needed tripod, and understands the directions offered by the ECCT Resources website.  Please be in touch with him at MarkCEC@snet.net

After consulting with Senior Warden Susan Leonard, I am suspending weekday meetings that I would normally chair or lead.  Please check the updated calendar to the left for details.

As noted in yesterday's message, the Bishops' staff at The Commons have created a page for Covid-19 Updates with links to the most recent messages from our Bishops and the Presiding Bishop.  You can find it here.  Again, I especially commend to you the March 10 message of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry -- including the moving prayer with which he concludes.

Let me underscore that I want everyone who has any concern for their health or well-being to stay at home Sunday morning!  Even our Roman Catholic friends have been released from their "Sunday Obligation" to participate in worship in person.  No one "has to" attend.

Feel free to drop off your filled zip-lock bags for our ECW's Lenten Service Project in the Rectory.  A collection bag will be available inside the driveway door whenever the porch light is on.

Copies of  Bishop Barbara Harris's memoir, Hallelujah, Anyhow! are available in the Rectory entry hall for $15, and on Kindle for $10.69.  Whether or not you've participated in our Lenten conversations about Bishop Harris' life and witness as an African-American and as the first woman to be ordained a bishop in the Anglican Communion, I commend to you the series of interviews with her available on YouTube.  Start with this one by clicking here:

Our focus on Bishop Harris' memoir has taken on a sad poignancy:  The Diocese of Massachusetts has announced that Bishop Harris died Friday evening in hospice care; this follows surgery to address gastrointestinal distress.  The Bishop of Massachusetts' announcement is available here.
May she rest in peace, and rise in glory.
 
Lent Madness is a light-hearted, yet inspiring, daily Lenten practice.  You can follow it online by going to LentMadness.org.   If you subscribe, you will receive it Monday-Friday in your inbox.  If you vote each day, you will also get to help decide who will "win" the Golden Halo for Lent this year.
 
Take care, say your prayers, and wash your hands,,
Harrison+
YFNR