They always said, “You can’t be in two places at once.”  Well, yes, I can.  I just wanted to let you know that on Sunday mornings we have two worship services.  We are blessed to have two options for the same service.  You can attend the sanctuary in person if you feel comfortable, or you can continue to watch and participate in our worship service at home.  The hymns, scripture and sermon are all the same.

If you come to the church for the service please know that we are taking some necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our congregation (but of course, we can never assure 100% safety).  We are wearing masks, using plexiglass and glass shields, opening the windows, remaining physically distant, providing hand sanitizer, and encouraging that people don’t sing (as it is a ‘super spreader’).     One parishioner said that they were pleasantly surprised at how comfortable they felt.  We haven’t had to turn people away because of too large a crowd coming to church.  Last week 18 people attended and the week before 26.  

I am grateful that our church is continuing to offer a virtual option.  Many people from outside our community are watching- and they can continue as long as we provide this service.  If you tune in at 10 AM on Sunday morning you can choose to watch the service with others, thanks to the YouTube Premier option.  You can even send messages to the others watching the service at the same time.     

Continuing with the virtual service while hosting in person worship has meant that our staff is doing things a little different.  For the first time in 25 years I am writing two sermons at once.  I record one on Tuesday and then preach it live on Sunday.  In between Tuesday and Sunday, I am starting to write the next sermon.  It’s the way of the pandemic world—we are all learning to do our jobs a little differently.  Frankly, it is nice after 25 years to be forced to try different approaches. 

If I don’t see you on Sunday, hopefully you are still able to see me in your living room, kitchen, or wherever you have deemed the sacred place for worship is in your home.