Gathering once again

Did you hear the news?! At our meeting last week, Trinity's Council decided that we'll return to our sanctuary for worship on Sunday, June 13 at 9am.

Trinity's sanctuary, as seen from the balcony - September 2019

It will have been 15 months since we last gathered for worship together in that space, and I imagine that the day will hold a mixture of emotions. There will be joy - at being together, and at being together in such a familiar and beloved space. There will be grief - as we more fully recognize the losses of the past 15 months, and as we are confronted by the absence of the dear ones missing from this gathering. There will be discomfort - as we worship in a way that is different from what we remember from pre-pandemic times, and different from what we're grown used to online and over the phone.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as we return:

Worship in our building is not more holy or effective or important than how we've been worshiping these past 15 months. Yes, we're excited, and yes, the sanctuary holds many precious memories of baptisms, confirmations, weddings, funerals, and family. As we return, however, we remember that the Church, the Body of Christ, is not a building - it's the people, all of us who have been called, gathered, enlightened, and made holy by God. This continues to be true, even after we fall back into the rhythms of weekly in-person worship.

Masks continue to be required while in the building for worship, regardless of vaccination status, and congregational singing will still be on hold. I know that many of you have been vaccinated, and I am truly overjoyed that this is the case! At this time, however, there are still many people who are not yet able to be vaccinated (in particular, children under the age of 12) or have chosen not to be, for a variety of reasons. As Christians gathering for worship we will not be excluding anyone because of vaccination status, and do not wish to make distinctions between vaccinated and unvaccinated people. So, out of love and care for one another, we ask that everyone wears a mask while inside the building for worship, and refrains from congregational singing for a little longer as case numbers continue to decline and vaccine eligibility expands. 

Online worship will still be available in some form. One of the silver linings of the pandemic was the necessity of establishing a way for folks to worship even when they're not able to be in the building. We've been able to connect with many people who have rarely or never been to worship in our physical sanctuary because of scheduling, illness, or transportation, and we want this to continue. While our goal is to be able to livestream the main service in the sanctuary, we don't yet have the technology or staffing to do this well. So, for the time being, the online service will be streamed on Zoom and Facebook later in the day on Sunday (perhaps 10:30am, more details available in the coming weeks!). You can watch/listen live, or catch the recording on Trinity's Facebook page or YouTube channel.

Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding over these next few weeks as we iron out the details, make changes, and learn as we go. I am so delighted to see you again - the sanctuary has been quite lonely on Sunday mornings, and community and an embodied faith are so central to who we are as people of God. As we prepare, I'd love to hear from you about any questions, concerns, or suggestions you may have. 

Bonus resources: 

• A great Pentecost sermon, from Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber.
• Confused about our masking policy? Hear a thoughtful, biblical view in this letter from two ELCA pastor moms.