A Pastoral Reflection, Pentecost Week Twelve, A Second Summer of Pandemic Living, August 13, 2021

I like the word navigating. It’s a word that suggests setting a course with the best skills we have from getting from here to there. At the same time, it acknowledges that our usual maps may not be completely up to date. There could be complications, detours, delays, perhaps dragons of various kinds.

It feels right to say we’re navigating this pandemic. As islanders, as a church, as workers or non-workers we know we have to keep going forward. Even as the virus pushes back. And we have to mask up again. So we just do it. The children need to be together, to be in school. Seniors need a break from isolation. We need to see family. We need to worship in person.
 
And so onward we go. August 29th is the Sunday we go back to worship on every island in our usual locations, at the usual times. Except on the fourth Sundays of September 26th and October 24th , when everyone is invited to gather for Zoom worship at 10 a.m. as we have been doing for so long.
 
We know some of you are unable to come to in-worship because of distance or health reasons. We are navigating that too. We want to stay connected with you. We will be offering another Sunday zoom service (just not at 10 am). So stay tuned - more information will be coming in a couple of weeks when we finalize the details.   
 
In the Love of Christ,
Pr. Beth