Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we celebrated Thanksgiving in the middle of a pandemic, I am sure you have noticed, there is a lot of change happening right now. Last month, many were opposed to the change with the option to mail in our ballots. There are still murmurs about the results. The changes I am talking about are changes that may become permanent. Change in how we work, where we no longer commute to an office but instead we work virtually from home. Change with how we learn. Currently almost all classes are being taught on Zoom. We are experiencing change with how we receive healthcare. The typical waiting room is no longer at the doctor’s office, it’s somewhere in “the cloud” while we wait to have a safe virtual visit from our home. Another noticeable change is our virtual services which allow us to visit several churches and worship with multiple congregations all over the country, bringing about a change in how we worship. We can watch a service any day, anytime, anywhere and as many times as we want. That’s new and different.
Most of celebrted Thanksgiving in a safe and different way this year. Given the joys of technology, we may be able to interact with family and friends over Zoom. If we are fortunate to gather locally, there are strict recommendations to follow. Is it worth it? I suggest we join with others and stay home this year and be safe.
Taking a closer look at these changes, I predict some organizations will not survive, some will hang on, and others will be amazing. I predict the Episcopal Church is an organization that will be amazing. We have dedicated people and the right tools to do incredible work. The road map with our instructions are all in the Bible. This is the right time to do things differently. We should keep some of what we have traditionally done that works and add some radically different components to it. For example, there are lots of us that cherish the traditions of the church, the traditions of our parents and grandparents that keep us coming back every Sunday. There are the traditions of Holy Communion, the prayers, the collects, the hymns and the magnificent buildings. For now, most of us will admire the buildings from afar. We will also have to wait to partake in Holy Communion. We can recite the Lord’s Prayer, join in the prayers, read the collects and sing the hymns along with others from the safety of our homes. We are positioned to embrace the change, get excited and make good trouble, necessary trouble.
Let us pray:
O heavenly Father who has filled the world with beauty, open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness for the sake of him whom all things were made, your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer, For Joy in God’s Creation)
Submitted by:
Luke Thompson
Resolution Review Committee,
Diocesan Council
