This week the Centers for Disease Control issued guidelines that indicate that those people who have been thoroughly vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus are safe to gather in crowds and indoors without using them except in certain locations. The Session agreed that beginning today, we would follow those CDC recommendations.  Let me share with you what that means and doesn’t mean.

• It means if you are duly vaccinated, you can worship sans a mask.
• It means you do not have to preregister to attend worship.
• It means if you are not vaccinated, we ask you to respect your fellow worshippers and wear a mask and seriously consider getting a vaccine.
• It means if you feel safer wearing a mask to worship, by all means do so and you will be respected for that decision!
• It means if you or a family member are not feeling well, you should stay home and watch the service via Livestream.
• It means that those of you who like to watch the service in your pajamas that you have the chance to come and have fellowship once again at the church, but please put on a pair of pants or a dress first!
• It means that if the pandemic comes roaring back, everything is on the table for reassessment.

On the other hand,

• It does not mean we are checking vaccine cards at the door; each of us out of our own Christian duty to love one another will abide by an honor system.  
• It does not mean that everything will immediately “get back to normal” with the rest of church ministry and programming on site; the Task Force for Reopening continues to meet and will make recommendations to the Session for an orderly, systematic re-opening of the facility and ministries. For example, the rule of sitting in assigned areas will probably be done away with by the next Task Force Meeting and that recommendation will be given to Session for approval. Please exercise patience.

Beloved, we are responding to a dynamic and fluid health situation. Our goal is to ensure we are able to provide members and guests with vital worship, fellowship, and ministry opportunities in a safe and meaningful manner. I’m excited with all that’s coming up in this church’s life!  I am excited to see our choirs again!  I’m excited to see people’s actual faces once more! I’m excited at all God has planned to for us as a congregation.

Still in One Piece, the Preacher