Please take a few moments and read the following pastoral letter from Fr. Scott Looker, Rector of Church of the Messiah.

Beloved in Christ,

As most of us have in the past few days, the Rector’s Council and I have been very attentive to all of the news and most recent updates on the Corona Virus pandemic and how we can best fulfill our call to be good pastors and shepherds of the congregation which God has entrusted us.  In light of that, we met last night and prayerfully formulated this response, aware that this situation is ever-changing and that what we say now may need to be amended in just a few hours.

First and foremost, our response to this and every other situation, crisis or otherwise, is to be guided by the words of Holy Scriptures.  Near the time of his own death, St. Paul reminded his disciple Timothy that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)  This verse is terribly relevant because it reminds us of both how we will respond and how we will not respond.

We will not respond in fear.  We will not shutter the churches, lock ourselves away, and forget that we are Christians, called that name by a Savior who overcame death itself and calls us to be lights that shine in the darkness.  We are, indeed, walking through a dark time in America and in the world, and they shall know that we are Christians by our love.  The Great Commission has not been put on hold because a disease runs through the land.  The world needs Jesus now more than ever.

We will respond, however, in the spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind which God has given us.  In respect to the “sound mind,” that means that we will employ the Christian virtue of Prudence.  We will not take foolhardy or dangerous actions because we do not fear the repercussions.  Such actions would imperil the lives of countless others and would not be acting in love but rather the height of selfishness.  As it relates to the power, we will remember that God bestows on us the Gift of Healing and calls us to pray for others and move in the confidence that even death is not a true defeat because Our Lord has conquered death.

When in comes to love, the greatest of all the gifts, we must be mindful to be charitable in this dark time.  Our friends, neighbor, and loved ones will not respond to this crisis the same way that we will.  We must show them the love of God.  Hundreds of thousands of thousands of people will be financially impacted by this crisis.  We should do what we can to reach out in love to those who are hurting.  People’s lives have been completely upturned.  They need to hear the calming, loving voice of Him who can speak to the wind and waves and say, “Peace, be still.”  We must be that voice.

As to practicals changes, we will comply will with the Mayor’s directive to limit occupancy to less than 50 people in a building.  We ask that anyone showing flu or cold symptoms, anyone who is considered high-risk, and anyone who has traveled to a country where there has been an outbreak, as well as anyone who has been in contact with someone who has traveled to a country where there has been an outbreak to remain home and contact the church office or one our priests.  We are blessed to be able pray for you and to bring Holy Communion to you in such a way that you will not put yourself or anyone else at risk.  To be clear, those who are considered high-risk are those with cardio vascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, people in treatment for other illnesses, and those who are over sixty years old.  

We will continue our Wednesday night adult Bible study and youth group as regularly scheduled unless otherwise notified.  We will be postponing our women’s ministry Bible study on 2 Timothy until further notice.  We will be “livestreaming” our Sunday morning services for those who are shut in.  Our first attempt at this was last Sunday and it was met with all of the challenges one would expect from launching new technology.  We are endeavoring to improve this as we go.  You should be able to watch the livestream on our Facebook channel at Facebook.com/mycomjax.  We ask everyone to be faithful with their tithes and offerings during this time.  As with every other business, bills remain largely unchanged regardless of attendance.  Please consider sending in checks by mail or giving on-line.  If you have not already set up on-line giving, you can visit mycomjax.com/give or text “mycomjax” to 77977 and follow the directions.  The service which we use to process on-line donations is PCI DSS Level 1 compliant meaning that they meet the highest standards of industry safety for on-line financial transactions.  Thank you for your faithfulness and generosity.

Now, the obvious question is how will we proceed with Holy Communion?  In the past week, I have reached out all over.  I have talked with dozens of clergy, read all sorts of web-pages and blogs, looked at what this parish and that diocese is doing.  I have made my decision.  Not everyone will like it.  Some will think it too harsh; some will think it too weak.  Remember that responding in power, love, and a sound mind requires that each of us move in faith, make prudent decisions for ourselves, and be charitable to those with whom we disagree.

We will continue to distribute the the Body and Blood of Christ in the Holy Eucharist and we will make the Chalice available to those who wish to drink from the Chalice.  We will in no way think less of those who refrain from partaking of the Blood of Christ in the Chalice, nor will we think more highly of those who choose to partake.  It is a choice that is made with a great many factors involved and we will not judge.  We will NOT allow any longer, however, what is known as intinction, or the dipping of the Host into the Chalice.  Many see this as the healthier and more sanitary option and wonder why I exclude it.  I will explain.

If we are going to make a change, it must be a change that will legitimately and truly impact the health of those worshiping with us and not just appear to do so.  While intinction appears to be more sanitary, having consulted with medical professionals and other clergy, I believe that is not more sanitary, rather it is just a different way of transmitting germs.  Instead of the possibility of transmitting germs from mouths on the Chalice (mitigated by several factors: diligent acolyte cleanliness, the metallic surface of the Chalice, the alcohol content of the wine, etc…), intinction creates contact with every hand in the congregation, and then places the fingers of the server in the Chalice and then near the mouth and nose of every other member of the congregation.  This is not a more sanitary way of receiving Communion; it is rather a different way to transmit germs.  To be clear, there will be NO dipping of Hosts into the Chalice by anyone, clergy or lay, until this crisis has passed.

It is worth acknowledging that we believe both the Body and Blood of Christ are contained within the Host so one is “fully” partaking of Communion if one “only” receives the Host and elects not to drink from the Chalice.

All of what has been said before can change in the blink of an eye.  As of the current press releases, tweets, and updates, this is the best course of action that the Rector’s Council and I can assemble in the face of this current crisis.  Given the fluidity of the circumstances, this may change very quickly and we will do our very best to update everyone as soon as possible.  We are very aware that Holy Week and Easter are only a few weeks away and we want those experiences to be the best, most glorious services which we have ever had, while at the same time maintaining the safety of all our members.

While these circumstance may change daily, it is important to remember that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and that His Word never changes.  The Church has been through crises before.  It has been through plagues and pestilences before.  We will not stop being the Church because of COVID-19.  We may start doing some things differently, but our mandate to share the Gospel has not changed because of a virus or a limit on the number of people who can gather in one place at a time.  Prior to His betrayal and Crucifixion, when Our Lord would endure His own isolation and ultimately conquer death, He reminded His Disciples, “Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:32-33)  In this season, we may find ourselves isolated, but we are not alone because Christ is with us.  We are facing a trial the likes of which none of us has ever faced before.  Nevertheless, be of good cheer.  We serve a God who has overcome the world.

I am praying for you and I look forward to worshiping Our Risen Lord together with you on Sunday morning (on livestream or in person).

In Christ,

sjl+