COVID-19
Dear Shepherd Family,
In one of the ironies of the Lenten season, we had prayed for these 40 days to be an occasion for rest in our common life and renewal of our shared covenant. And here we are! How odd, don’t you think? I never imagined that these would be the circumstances under which we would cease some of our ordinary activities. As God is giving us some time for rest, I also pray that God would grant us big imaginations for how to show our love and strengthen the social fabric of our community.
With that kind of imagination for the Gospel, we’ll be thinking in the coming days about what we can do as a whole church meeting virtually to care for our Shepherd Family.
Many of you, and your children, have reached out to me about the current COVID-19 outbreak and its effect on our worship services and events. I am in communication with our Denominational and Conference Leadership Teams and Ecumenical Partners, and this morning, I participated in a COVID-19 Webinar for Faith Based Organizations and Social Services presented by the Arizona Department of Health Services.
For those of you who have been in attendance the past few weeks, you are aware that we are taking precautionary measures, and I would like to take this opportunity to let you know how we can further protect ourselves, both during our worship service and in our communities.
The following changes to our life together are effective immediately:
This Sunday’s concert with Mark Fuller has been postponed until further notice.
Our weekly gatherings, such as Wednesday Wanderers and Meditations have been cancelled for the remainder of the month of March.
We will also cease the practice of fellowship/coffee hours and all other purely social non-essential gatherings, especially those that involve the serving and sharing of food for social reasons.
While this may change in the next few days as we receive further guidance, we currently plan to continue gathering for Sunday worship, with the following caveats:
We are suspending our weekly celebration of Holy Communion.
Social (or Physical) Distancing should be maintained for the foreseeable future, not only at church, but in our daily lives as well. When we gather, please continue to refrain from our usual greeting of a hug or hand shake and maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from one another.
When taking your seats in the sanctuary, please scatter in the pews to maintain such a distance.
It is also imperative that we avoid altogether large gatherings of 100 or more people.
Taking these extra precautions of maintaining our distance and limiting our physical contact is manifestly important at this time to slow the possible spread of the disease.
Follow good hygiene guidelines, such as sneezing or coughing into your elbow, refraining from touching your face, washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water, immediately discarding used tissues, and utilizing hand sanitizer (located at Shepherd of the Hills on either side of the Narthex).
IMPORTANT: If you have a cough or flu symptoms, please DO NOT ATTEND SERVICES to avoid potentially exposing others. If you are otherwise ill, have a compromised immune system, or have recently traveled, PLEASE STAY HOME.
Again, we ask that you also follow universal health guidelines with regard to COVID-19. If you have traveled to or come into contact with a person that has traveled to areas where the COVID-19 outbreaks are significant, please consult your local health authorities to determine whether you should isolate yourself from others, and for how long. The websites of most government embassies, the U.S. State Department, and the Centers for Disease Control have the most up-to-date and accurate information regarding the countries at risk.
If the current COVID-19 situation changes and local ordinances recommend the cancellation of religious gatherings, we will follow that guidance and promptly communicate the information to you. Please refer to our Shepherd of the Hills Website for current information as to cancellation of services or events.
Thank you for your ongoing prayers for all those around the globe who are ill or have died from this disease, and for those whose lives have been severely disrupted. I want to assure you that your Shepherd Staff and Council are monitoring this situation closely and that our congregation’s health and safety are of the utmost importance to us.
Spirit of life,
where hearts are fearful and constricted,
grant courage and hope.
Where anxiety is infectious and widening,
grant us peace and reassurance.
Where impossibilities close every door and window,
grant imagination and resistance.
Where distrust twists our thinking,
grant healing and illumination.
Where spirits are daunted and weakened,
grant soaring wings and strengthened dreams.
All these things we ask in the name of Christ, our savior.
Amen.
Pastor Rock