Dear Friends in Christ:
For thousands of years, patterns of faith and life have been an integral part of the life of the Church, including worship, and serving and witnessing to the Gospel in our community. The basic form of our worship is to Gather, to Hear God's Word, to Share in the Sacraments, and to be Sent out as ambassadors of Jesus Christ into the world. The history of the Church has recorded many times when this has been disrupted, often when disease or crisis prevented the faithful from gathering. I've written a few times about the Plague, and Martin Luther's response to the situation which emphasized physical distancing, medical care and good hygiene, while encouraging people not to forget about their neighbors. A Grace member shared with me her childhood when Polio was a yearly scare after World War II, and people tried to escape to the countryside their relatives for safety. Others mentioned the influenza outbreak after World War I in which tens of thousands died. Governor Ralph Northam announced to Virginia early this week (3/30) his Executive Order #55, which orders all Virginians to "remain at their place of residence", with exceptions to buy food, see the doctor, travel to work, etc. Included is a specific order that religious events of more than ten people are prohibited. Bishop Bob Humphrey, in a pastoral video that was sent out yesterday, March 31st, echoed these instructions, and recommended that at this time, we follow Governor Northam's order, and postpone worship until Sunday, June 14th. Grace Council, at a special called meeting last night and after much discussion, agreed that Grace should adhere to these guidelines. You can find Bishop Humphrey's video here. This is an unprecedented amount of time for the Church to not gather in person. As Bishop Humphrey notes, a great deal of our Festival Days that are so important to recalling the Good News we have as the Church will not be in-person: Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost, Holy Trinity Sunday. This also affects important Life events such as Confirmation - three of our youth will have their Affirmation of Baptism delayed. I take very seriously the fact that God sent Jesus "IN PERSON" - incarnationally - in order for the world to understand most completely God's love for the world and its people. We are challenged in this time of Coronavirus to be creative in the ways we can keep our connection to one another and our neighbor. And yet it must be said that there have been too many Church congregations who have acted rashly, have conducted worship services and other in-person activities heedless of common sense health warnings, and the plain truth is that they have spread the Coronavirus and jeopardized the health and wellness of many, including those in the over-65 and under-18 categories of risk. The Coronavirus is no longer an "it's in New York, not here" disease. Every place where our members live, there are now Coronavirus cases. As national and local health experts tell us, the models and patterns of the coronavirus are the same everywhere, including here. However, this is the EXACT time for us to be Church as creatively as possible. We will continue worship via YouTube and Zoom. We will celebrate our festivals of Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter with as much intentionality, thoughtfulness, and then joy as we can, even if we are present with each other via computer screen or telephone. Take part in these opportunities, which we'll communicate to you shortly. I’m also so thankful for the examples of care and love for neighbor and one another that can be told in and through Grace! Look for additional opportunities for you to care for our neighbors, and respond as God’s Spirit moves you. We will communicate regularly via email, U.S. Mail (for those without computers), Facebook and telephone. As your pastor, I will continue to offer care by telephone or whatever communication works best for you, and at critical times of death and emergency, will minister in person, honoring the Orders in place in our Commonwealth. We will creatively offer Zoom classes, and are working to provide a Zoom Prayer Group and opportunities for online fellowship. Look for additional communications in the next week or two. In particular, I’d like to thank Nancy Dowdy for her work in the Church Office keeping us connected to one another in many ways, and Mike Myers, for his work in continuing to offer “a sweet sacrifice of praise” to God in worship through music and song. A special thanks also to Owen Keefer for his gifts of technology that have been so important to our continuing worship, and Gordon Putnam for updating website and Facebook. AND there are so many others who have quietly helped in ways too many to mention that have continued to make us A Community of Servants Sharing in the Word and Work of Jesus. You ARE the Body of Christ! You ARE blessed to be a blessing! We WILL meet again soon, and in the meantime, pray this prayer daily from scripture, shared with me by another Grace member who has found great comfort in it: “Cast your anxieties upon Jesus, for he cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7) Jesus cares so completely that though equal with God, he emptied himself, and in his humanity gave his life up for us all, for the sake of our new life in him. (cf. Philippians 2:5-11). This new life continues in and through each of us, even, and especially in these times we live in. God’s peace be with you all! In Christ, Pr. Paul
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AuthorPastor Paul came to Grace to serve as our Pastor in October 2012. After a first career in product and graphic design, he was ordained in 1993, and has served as a parish pastor in Virginia and South Carolina. He is married to Jill and they have two daughters, one at Roanoke College and one at James Madison University. Archives
December 2021
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