Friends in Christ,
It has been nearly one year since we last gathered to worship in our sanctuary. In that time, over 500,000 lives have been lost to COVID in the United States alone. We have all endured unimaginable grief and change, though the burden of this pandemic has not been borne equally across race and class. We have also discovered surprising resilience and new ways to build community. I remain grateful for you, the members and friends of Eliot Church, as you support one another and the work of the gospel.
On February 20, the session met to consider our hopes of reopening our sanctuary in time for Easter Sunday. Given the ongoing high infection rates in greater Lowell and the slow rollout of the vaccines in Massachusetts, the session believes it would be unwise to encourage the congregation to gather inside our building on April 4. We are aware of those who are left out of online worship for a variety of reasons. We regret delaying our in-person fellowship. However, we remain mindful of the most vulnerable among us and understand caring for their health and safety as part of Jesus’ mandate to love our neighbors.
Online worship will continue through the end of May. We will gather for worship outdoors on Sunday, June 6 and return to the sanctuary on Sunday, June 13. We hope an outdoor service can be a celebration that safely includes a large portion of the congregation. Details about that service will be forthcoming. When we do return to the sanctuary, we expect to continue observing practices like mask wearing and social distancing to protect one another. Information about what to expect will also be forthcoming.
The option to worship from home may continue to be the best option for some of us, because of the pandemic or for other reasons. (I’ve enjoyed seeing my parents, who live in Tennessee, on Zoom each Sunday!) It even offers an opportunity to share the gospel in new ways and places. The Reopening Task Force is committed to honing our “hybrid worship” so that whether you come to the sanctuary or participate from home, you can be fully connected to the worship life of the congregation.
I know the news of a delayed return to the sanctuary will meet mixed responses. In fact, most of us experience some internal conflict between the desire to gather for worship and the desire to protect our safety and the safety of others. That is the nature of the place where we find ourselves. To follow Jesus is to err on the side of love. In love, I hope you will continue to join us online for worship until we can safely gather again.
Pastor Heather