With both unprecedented and changing circumstances before us regarding the concerns of the Coronavirus, we are unable to foresee what the schedule of the church will look like in the short-term. Throughout this newsletter, our plans remain subject to change, but we will continue to communicate updates to the congregation.
It is difficult not being able to gather because we rely on our gatherings. We find strength in one another, so we remember that the church is not defined by a building, but by its people. We remain connected to one another by the grace of God. We seek ways to stay in touch with one another.
We are working on streaming options for worship. Once we develop that option, we will update the congregation. It will enable us to remain connected to this place as we are apart. The church office will remain open, so please let us know if you need anything. Let us also remember to send our offerings, which can be mailed to the church office, enabling us to continue our collective ministry.
As we practice social distancing, we can also practice our faith in these different circumstances. We can hold the concerns of the congregation and the world in our prayers. During this time, I will adopt a practice borrowed from a friend, praying through the church directory each week from Alford to Zugazaga. We can keep each other close through our prayers.
We can also take walks around our neighborhood. Walking has long been a spiritual practice, noticing our surroundings, getting to know our neighborhood, and allowing it to guide our prayers and actions. We can find God in the place where we live.
We will continue the ministry of the church in these changing circumstances. We are grateful to the congregation. We rely one another even from a distance. Our connections to one another are not contingent on proximity. We are held by the fellowship of the Spirit, which binds us together and sends us forth into the world to share the grace of God.
-Tripp