My Dear People of St. Thomas,
It is after much prayerful consideration that your wardens and I have made the decision to cancel all in-person services and events at St. Thomas the Apostle for the next two weeks. This may seem drastic to some, but we (and obviously many others) believe that we really do need to take a physical “time-out” to be able to allow the COVID-19 virus the opportunity to play itself out to the conclusion that it is going to do. While we have not yet had a case tied to St. Thomas the Apostle, we simply cannot, must not risk our vulnerable population to this unknown.
Read Bishop Sumner’s updated letter regarding the Coronavirus >
For this two week period, we will continue to live-stream services from St. Thomas the Apostle. If you are connected to me on Facebook, you will be able to see that real-time. If you are not, or you are not available at the “appointed hour” of 10 am on Sunday morning, the video and manuscript of Sunday’s sermon will be posted on both my Facebook page as well as the St. Thomas the Apostle Facebook page. You may watch whenever you like!
The church offices and meeting spaces (with the exception of the South Room for AA) will remain closed for two weeks (until Friday, March 27th), at which time the wardens and I will re-evaluate the situation and decide if we should extend the in-person closures. Pam Liles, Church Administrator, will continue to check her e-mail and the church voice mail so that the essential business of the church can continue to flow, if even at a reduced level.
If you have a pastoral emergency, please reach out to me directly at christopher@thedoubter.org, or by calling the pastoral emergency line at 214.352.0410, and dialing 6.
I continue to encourage you toward rational, reliable sources of information as you find your individual way through this trying time. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/)
Just because we take a physical “time-out,” does not mean that we cease to be the Church, capital “C,” in every sense of the word. Quite the contrary; it’s times like these that our being the body of Christ is even more important, more crucial, more vital, as we seek to serve the living Christ in the world around us.
I urge you to reach out to each and every one of our members and loved ones, by phone, and e-mail, and Facebook, and all the wonderful electronic methods possible, to check on them, make sure that they know how much they are loved and cared for, in amidst of this storm. Make sure they feel the loving touch of Jesus Christ!
If you are sick, or lonely, or food insecure, please let us know so that we can step into that gap as well. There are more ways than one for us to continue to be the Church!
We simply must be prudent in how we do this.
And we can do this. Because we are smart, and resourceful!
And because we serve a God who professes to be with us, even unto and beyond the very end!
Yours faithfully,
Fr. Christopher+
