"Looking Ahead" by Jason Edwards
There were plenty of people around Jesus throughout his life and ministry who missed the meaning of his messiahship and were, of course, caught off guard by so much of what transpired during that first Holy Week. Still, I imagine as the week began, those around him must have sensed something in the air, some kind of coming change as he moved toward his passion, with purpose.
There’s some subtle parallel with our own sensibility at the outset of this Holy Week. We sense something in the air, the winds of change are blowing. This has often been true over the course of the past year. We’ve needed to increase our adaptability, always ready for changes, often ones we’d rather not receive. But the air seems to be blowing in a more positive direction now. As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s resurrection, hope continues to rise all around us. The finish line of this pandemic isn’t yet in clear sight, but the mile markers we’re passing (including the increasing availability of vaccines for adults all over our country) are shouting: just a little further. As they do, our life together is shifting again as well. With that in mind, I wanted to offer you a few details here about the days and weeks ahead, in hopes that you won’t miss anything.
First, we hope you plan to worship with us on Easter Sunday as we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord. The details for Easter Sunday have changed a time or two, so please pay close attention to what you’re about to read: There will be two in-person worship opportunities, outdoors at the Belvoir Winery. There is no limit to who can attend these in-person services. Those services will take place at 8:30 am and 11:00 a.m. (Note the time changes from previous communications). Mask wearing and social distancing will be expected at these in-person services. The 8:30 a.m. service will be live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube, so you can also worship with us from home at 8:30 or any time thereafter. Please help us get the word out about these Easter Sunday details.
Second, we will have several opportunities to worship together in-person, outdoors, in the coming weeks (weather permitting). Please note the following plans for worship venues during April and May:
A. Worship services will be at 11:00 a.m. at Belvoir Winery on Sundays April 11th and April 18th. No reservations will be needed for these services. We plan to live-stream these services on Facebook and YouTube for those who plan to worship at home.
B. Worship services will be virtual only on Sundays April 25th (Student Sunday) and May 2nd (Our Church’s Anniversary Sunday). These services will premiere via YouTube at 8:30 a.m. and Facebook at 11:00 a.m.
C. Worship services will be at 11:00 a.m. at Belvoir Winery on Sundays May 9th, 16th, and 23rd. No reservations will be needed for these services. They will be live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube for those who plan to worship at home. Note: Sunday, May 23 is both Pentecost and Graduate Recognition Sunday.
D. Our worship service will be virtual only on Sunday, May 30 (Memorial Day Weekend). This service will premiere via YouTube at 8:30 a.m. and Facebook at 11:00 a.m. We plan to share in communion during this worship experience.
We’ll keep plans for upcoming worship services in front of you weekly, but I wanted to give you a forecast now for our current worship service plans in April and May. These plans could be adjusted in response to weather or changed related to COVID-19. We are aware of a variety of needs and preferences in our congregation related to Sunday morning worship experiences as we continue to navigate this pandemic. With those needs in mind, we’ve planned for a variety of worship experiences, with both in-person, outdoor services and at-home worship experiences. As you’ve seen in their recent report, our Task Force has indicated they would like all staff who are responsible for leading in worship to have the opportunity to be fully vaccinated before we return to worship indoors. With that in mind, and with the progress we are seeing related to vaccinations in our community, our Task Force and Pastoral Staff anticipate being able to return to worship indoors this summer.
As always, we are grateful for you and the faithful ways you have continued to embody God’s love, generosity, and grace in our church and to our community and world throughout this past year.
With Easter hope,
Jason