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Month: March 2020

A Pastoral Message from Bishop Gates – March 14, 2020

A Pastoral Message from Bishop Gates – March 14, 2020

March 14, 2020

Dear People of the Diocese of Massachusetts,

Yesterday I looked out at the city park beneath my window.  The usual Friday afternoon bustle was nowhere in evidence.  A surreal and eerie quiet had descended there, as it has on so much of our lives.  Two lonely musicians appeared with guitar and drum, set up a busker spot on the edge of the park, and began to play into the wind, singing to their virtually empty surroundings.  Gradually I recognized strains of the Mumford & Sons chorus:

But you are not alone in this

You are not alone in this

As brothers we will stand

And we’ll hold your hand …

In the strangeness of the moment, it was a comforting assurance from an unexpected direction. A few hours later I found myself at the bedside of one beloved to us all who had just slipped peacefully from this world to the next.  In the sure and certain hope which we claim, I gave voice to the Church’s prayers of commendation:

Depart, O Christian soul, out of this world …

into the blessed rest of everlasting peace,

and into the glorious company of the saints in light.

A solitary moment, yet embodying the fullest companionship imaginable.

At no time are we alone.  Here, there.  Now, then.  At few moments in our memory have we more needed to remember this, to assure one another of this and to show forth that conviction to others as Christians.

Our Sabbath day tomorrow will be marked by communal prayers, many of us for the first time employing electronic means to be “together” while apart.  Even churches maintaining onsite worship will adhere to stringent means of “social distancing.”  Yet in profound ways, we are not alone in this.  We are together, by God’s grace.  And we must resist the worst manifestations of panicked individualism taking hold in so many quarters around us.

Find a way to be in community, however virtual.  Pray alone, pray together.  Reach out to those who live alone. Contribute to the emerging needs of those most vulnerable.

In the week ahead we will continue to track all the best wisdom about how to stay safe, and keep others safe.  We will share what we are learning about creative ways to worship and keep together while apart.  We will renew our determination to be the Body of Christ in the world, singing into the wind, “You are not alone in this.”

Faithfully and fondly,

+Alan

The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates

Message regarding church services at Emmanuel for Sunday, March 15 and other information

Dear Friends of Emmanuel,

We are dealing with an unprecedented public health crisis surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The leadership at Emmanuel, following guidance from the Diocese of Massachusetts and National church, has decided that the following measures will be taken to enforce the recommended social distancing to limit the risk of infection transmission.

The Service:

  • This coming Sunday March 15th, we will celebrate a simple spoken Eucharist, an abbreviated sermon, without procession, choir or music.  CDC recommends maintaining a minimum of six feet of separation between people at all times.
  • People should remain in their pews for the Peace, and not shake hands or otherwise have physical contact with others. A wave or bow will suffice.
  • The sermon will be taped and uploaded to the Emmanuel website, as usual.
  •  Rev. Joyce will keep the host at the altar and only wafers without wine will be offered at communion.
  • Collection plates will not be passed, but left at the rear and front of the church to receive your weekly offering. 
  • Choir practice and coffee hour are canceled until further notice.
  • Sunday school is also suspended until further notice.

The situation is very fluid at the moment. We are considering livestreaming the liturgy in the future. We will continue to evaluate and modify plans depending on ongoing public health recommendations. Rev. Joyce will offer further instructions on Sunday if necessary.

Please do not attend the service if you have been unwell with a cough, sore throat or fever, or in contact with anyone who has these symptoms or has recently traveled internationally.

A message from Rev. Dr. Joyce Caggiano:

 “We are in a most unusual and difficult time. The Coronavirus is unseeable but has created the greatest disruption the world has ever known. And so, on the advice of medical professionals and ecclesiastical authorities we will need to change our way of serving God and one another.

Our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry put it this way, “obedience to the moral primacy of love for the neighbor must direct us.”  Today God is calling us to stretch our hearts and minds and love one another by separating ourselves physically but even more intensely to spiritually hold one another close.”

Emmanuel Church Leadership

 

Bishop Gates issues additional COVID-19 response guidance

Please note the additional COVID-19 guidance from Bishop Gates. We are reviewing this to determine what changes may need to be made to our service and other activities in the best interests of the health of our community.

Bishop Alan M. Gates issued the following pastoral guidance on March 12, 2020, which supplements directives issued on March 11, posted here.  A Spanish-language version will be available on the diocesan website soon.  See a growing list of congregations live-streaming and podcasting services here.

March 12, 2020

Dear Colleagues in the Diocese of Massachusetts,

The circumstances surrounding COVID-19 and our response continue to evolve rapidly.  I know that you are all doing your utmost to make decisions in your local settings, and I am deeply grateful.  This morning the response advisory group has convened and given me their best wisdom, on the basis of which I am writing with guidelines and counsel further to yesterday’s communique.

In all of this we face dilemmas of incomplete epidemiological information and varying pastoral imperatives that do not always point clearly in a single direction.  God invites us to respond as fully as we can, with the best information we have, with both patience and timely determination, and with hearts full of compassion and concern for the most vulnerable in our midst.

1.    I support the decision of any clergy (or wardens-in-charge) who choose to suspend worship and/or other activities at this time.  Our local contexts vary widely.  We differ in the size and demographic populations of a congregation; the guidance of local community health organizations; essential community ministries conducted by a congregation; church architecture; parish resources to assure the carrying out of safety guidelines; and much more.  Local leaders should understand themselves completely authorized to make this decision on the basis of their context, and though not mandating closure at this time, I support a decision to close made by any congregation’s leaders.

2.    Those in high-risk groups are urged to avoid all large group gatherings, including worship.  Health officials have identified the following persons as facing particular risk from the COVID-19 virus:  persons age 60 or older; anyone with a respiratory condition such as asthma or emphysema; anyone with an autoimmune disorder; anyone with heart disease or diabetes; anyone currently or recently undergoing chemotherapy; and smokers.  Those in these groups should remain apart from large group gatherings, including worship.

3.    The immediate suspension of all other activities such as church school classes, coffee hours, etc., is strongly recommended.  Christian formation resources which can be distributed for home use, or virtual gatherings for study and mutual support are encouraged.

4.    Churches which do hold services of public worship must adhere scrupulously to the detailed safety guidelines issued yesterday.

5.    Group and committee meetings should be postponed, rescheduled or conducted by Zoom or other electronic means, unless an in-person meeting is absolutely necessary.

6.    Parish staff members whose position does not require them to be on site at the church should be encouraged to work at home.

7.    Any church in a community in which health officials have identified a heightened concern by virtue of a confirmed diagnosis; or in which public schools have closed; or whose church membership includes those who have attended such events known to have been affected, such as the Biogen or CEEP conferences, should exercise an abundance of caution in their decision to close.

8.    Those not in high risk groups who have been asymptomatic for the past two weeks are urged to step up to help assure that parish and community ministries which provide life-sustaining assistance to others can continue!  Shelter ministries, food programs, recovery groups and many others will be without key volunteers for a time, and will rely on help from those who can manifest the concern of the church to keep them going.

9.    All are urged to support fellow parishioners and neighbors in high risk groups, enabling them to stay safe in this time, and to support your church.  Phone calls, errands, meals delivered and other ways to support anyone practicing self-quarantine will embody Christian compassion.  Your continued financial support of your church will also be absolutely essential to maintaining all of our programs, ministries and life together in the weeks and months ahead.  

10.   Alternative opportunities are available for worship, for those in congregations suspending their services or for those observing their own cautionary social distancing.  We are all encouraged, even obligated, to offer our prayers and worship especially in such moments.  A growing list of congregations live-streaming and podcasting services is available here.  Additionally, a tutorial on streaming via Facebook Live is offered by St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields Church in Lincoln here.

As new information and guidance continues apace, this will doubtless not be my last communication with you.  During this rapidly changing situation, it is wise to be preparing for further disruptions, including the possibility of mandatory closures in our communities.  I am grateful for the now-expanded advisory group of epidemiologists and crisis responders who continue to share with me their wisdom.  Let us all pray for one another in these times, that God’s Spirit will lead us unfailingly and strengthen us constantly.

Faithfully yours in Christ,

The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates

 

Signs Of Life: Water

When we bless water for baptism, we tell the story of how water has become to us a sign of life. We remember that in the beginning, the Holy Spirit moved over the waters. We remember that through water God led the children of Israel out of bondage into freedom. We remember that through water Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan, and in our own baptism, we move from the bondage of sin and death into the freedom of resurrection and everlasting life.

– The Rev. Becky Zartman

The Rev. Becky Zartman in conversation with Brs. Jonathan Maury, Keith Nelson, James Koester and Lucas Hall to discuss Water:

 

Bishops issue March 11 COVID-19 directive

Bishop Alan M. Gates and Bishop Gayle E. Harris have issued the following directive, effective immediately and until further notice.  It replaces previously issued guidelines.  A Spanish-language version will be available as soon as possible.  The directive is available in full as a PDF here and on the diocesan website here.

March 11, 2020

Dear People of the Diocese of Massachusetts,

As cases of the coronavirus COVID-19 increase rapidly in Massachusetts, we seek to respond in a manner that both takes appropriate precautions to protect our communities and to reduce the anxiety and fear associated with this public health crisis.  We have assembled a small group of persons who bring expertise in epidemiology, public health and disaster response to provide guidance for our congregations and related organizations, drawing on the wisdom of public health officials and focusing on matters specific to church contexts.

Based on their counsel, we are today issuing the mandates detailed below, which are effective immediately and until further notice.  They include significant changes that the current circumstances now call for, including that communion is to be distributed in the form of consecrated bread onlyoffering plates are not to be passed among the people; and at the Peace people should greet one another without physical touch of any kind.  We ask you to read in full and heed the mandated protocols and additional recommended practices detailed below.  These mandates and recommendations replace previously distributed guidelines.

We are deeply grateful for all the ways that you are already caring for one another and all the ways you will continue to do so in the days ahead.  We ask that you keep up your efforts to check on and find ways to support those who are vulnerable, isolated, unwell or in quarantine, through prayer, phone and video calls and errands.  Thank you for continuing to be mindful of those whose incomes may be disrupted during this time.  Include in your unceasing prayers those who are medical care providers and first responders, and those who are at higher risk of exposure because of their direct public service.

As we said in last week’s messages, it is important to continue to stay informed via credible sources.  Stay connected by all means available, while remembering, as part of our self-care, to take intentional time away from newsfeeds and devices, for the prayer, quiet and restorative activity that will return us less anxious and more ready to serve Christ in the days ahead.

As Presiding Bishop Michael Curry reminds all of us in his March 10 statement:  We are in this together.

Faithfully,

The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates
The Rt. Rev. Gayle E. Harris

 

COVID-19 Response

Mandated Protocols as of March 11, 2020

Preparing for a service:

•    Baptismal fonts and holy water stoups are to be cleansed and are to remain empty unless there is a baptism. Ministers of baptism are to wash their hands with soap and warm water prior to the service and use hand sanitizer immediately before the baptismal rite.

•    Altar rails, processional crosses, torches and other liturgical implements are to be cleansed with a disinfectant prior to and after each use.

•    Altar Guild members are to wash their hands with soap and warm water prior to handling communion vessels.

At the Eucharist:

•    All ministers of communion are to wash their hands with soap and warm water for at least 30 seconds immediately prior to the service, and to use a hand sanitizer of at least 60% alcohol content immediately prior to the Eucharistic Prayer.  If a large number of persons is present, use of hand sanitizer should be repeated during the distribution of communion. If hand sanitizer is unavailable, ministers of communion should wash their hands with soap and warm water immediately prior to handling communion vessels.

•    At the Peace, the people should greet one another without physical touch of any kind. A gentle bow, nod or namaste gesture is preferable. Elbow bumps are discouraged since people are encouraged to sneeze into their elbow to reduce the chance of transmitting the virus.

•    Offering plates are not to be passed among the people.  Plates or baskets should be placed in a location where the people may leave their offering. Ministers of communion are not to touch offering plates if they are presented at the altar.

•    The Eucharistic Prayer is to be said as usual, with a single chalice containing a small amount of the consecrated wine to remain on the altar during communion.  The consecrated wine should be returned to the earth in a reverent manner, or, if preferred, the celebrant alone may consume it.

Concerning the distribution of communion:

•    Communion is to be distributed in the form of consecrated bread only.  Wafers should be used instead of baked bread. It is perfectly acceptable, and sound theology, for communion to be received in one kind.

•    The consecrated wafer is to be delivered into the recipient’s hand, to avoid the communion minister’s hands touching the mouth of the recipient.

•    When offering a blessing instead of communion, extend a hand or make the sign of the cross over the person rather than touching them.

Caring for one another:

•    At healing rites, ministers are to cleanse their hands with hand sanitizer immediately before laying-on-of-hands and anointing of each person.  Only the designated healing minister is to pray with the person; groups are not to surround the person.

•    Clergy and other visitors to homebound or hospitalized persons, or those in care facilities, are to use hand sanitizer immediately before and after visiting with the sick or infirm person. Anyone who feels or, at any time during the prior two weeks, has felt unwell or run a fever is to refrain from home, hospital or nursing home visits.

•    Respect all safety protocols of hospitals or other care facilities.

•    Clergy are to respect the confidentiality of patients and all parishioners at all times and are to follow the directives of their local public health authorities.

Strongly Recommended Practices

•    Hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content should be made available to all attending church services and events.

•    Remind people to cover coughs and sneezes.

•    Common areas, bathrooms and classrooms, especially handrails, doorknobs and faucets, should be cleaned and disinfected frequently and prior to each gathering.

•    Virtual gatherings* are encouraged where possible. Church or program staff may be encouraged to work from home, provided their physical presence is not required.

•    Food served at coffee hour, feeding programs or other gatherings should be in individual servings.  If food is not in individual servings, a person wearing a new pair of food service gloves should be assigned to pre-plate and serve the food. Serving utensils should be handled only by the person preparing and/or serving the food.

•    Persons who feel, or within the past two weeks, have felt unwell or run a fever are discouraged from attending church services or events, both for their own protection and the protection of others. If anyone in a household is unwell, everyone in the household should remain at home. In particular, the following persons who are at particular risk from COVID -19 should take extra precautions:
• Persons age 60 or over
• Anyone with a respiratory condition such as asthma or emphysema
• Anyone with an autoimmune disorder
• Anyone who is undergoing or has recently received chemotherapy
• Smokers

Message from Bishop Alan Gates regarding Bishop Barbara Harris

Bishop Alan M. Gates issued the following message on March 7, 2020, to the diocesan community regarding Bishop Barbara C. Harris. 

Cards and notes may be sent to her in care of The Office of the Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, 138 Tremont Street, Boston MA 02111.

Dear Friends,

I write you this evening with an update about our beloved Barbara Harris.

Following several days of stability after surgery last Sunday evening [March 1], Barbara’s condition has continued to weaken, and she is now being kept comfortable by the hospital medical team.  She is not receiving any visitors, but all of us hold her in our deepest and fondest prayers.

I will be in touch with you again as soon as there is word to share.

Be present, O merciful God, with your servant Barbara,
and protect her through the coming hours,
so that she who is wearied by the changes and chances of this life
may rest in your eternal changelessness,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p. 133, adapt.)

Faithfully,

The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates