Dear Friends,
By now you have probably read our letter announcing changes we are making to keep our congregation safe during our present global pandemic. The best mathematical modeling shows that, while the rate of infection seems low in our area, it is almost certainly much higher than it appears. So the question is not “if” the wave of infection will trigger massive quarantine situations, but “when.” While it may seem like Countryside and other faith communities who are moving to a streaming-only worship format and limiting face-to-face meetings are “overreacting” – and I hope we are – our goal is to have all of our systems running like a well-oiled machine by the time this happens. If we’re a couple of weeks ahead of the curve, this will benefit us in ways we can scarcely imagine. We anticipate being under this pandemic scenario for 60 days for sure (mid-May), perhaps longer in light of the information we have at that time.
Of course, none of our staff or lay leadership have had the experience of leading a 1,300 member church though a global pandemic before, so I hope you will forgive the inevitable situations where our best efforts fall short – where we announce one thing, then have to change it in light of changing situations, or where we fail to connect with you when we really should have. One thing I can promise you: Our staff and other leadership are working extremely hard right now to minimize these shortfalls, and consulting with many experts in our own congregation to help us lead the charge forward, rather than react or respond to developments too late.
This Sunday, in our 10 a.m. live-streamed worship, and in a Pastoral Letter that will be sent out next week, I will be outlining in greater detail the changes being made to keep us all safe, connected, and responding to changing situations with facts and faith rather than fear. I will invite you to see this 60-day period not simply as a pandemic, but as an opportunity for a new-fangled Countryside “Spiritual Retreat” of sorts – albeit one that we never signed up for.
In this regard, we are pivoting our worship series starting this Sunday. The new series is called, “For Such A Time As This: Finding and Serving God in the Midst of a Pandemic.” This series will face difficult facts, but from a perspective informed by our faith, not our fear. I see this as a series that will be full of hope amidst the crisis, offering each of us opportunities to discover the greatest resource we have in such times: a God who truly does love us beyond our wildest imagination and is not only willing to be a powerful presence when we need God most, but is fully able to do so. We will be drawing on the best science has to offer to protect us physically, as well as delving into the depths of the Christian tradition for spiritual resources and insight.
We will also receive insight from our Tri-Faith neighbors. Were you aware, for instance, that during the great plague of the 16th Century in Europe, there were pogroms against Jews because the Jewish community distinctively was not suffering most of the ill effects of the plague? People thought the plague was a Jewish plot, but it was actually Jewish spiritual practices with respect to sanitation that saved them from harm! Stay tuned for enhanced Tri-Faith programming you will not want to miss!
I hope to see you on Sunday, and I hope you will read my letter next week. Through the good work of Countryside’s staff and lay leadership, I hope you will find more than enough measure of reassurance AND life-sustaining practices not only to find God in the midst of a global pandemic, but to serve God.