Greetings, Arizona Disciples!
The short version:
We are encouraging churches to continue on-line worship and not to rush back to in-person gatherings.
The longer version:
We are obviously all getting mixed message from the federal government, state governments, health officials, and the media. Some states are reopening, some are not. It is hard to know what to think, what to believe, and what to do.
I have been in regular communication with the College of Regional Ministers, the heads of several other denominations in Arizona, and have read more articles on “when to re-open the church” than I can count. I am sending some of these articles to all Arizona clergy and congregations today, but here is a quick summary:
1. The College of Regional Ministers and the General Minister and President recommend that all of our churches remain on-line for the foreseeable future. We are releasing a letter to that effect today.
2. The heads of most Arizona denominations are encouraging or insisting that none of their congregations meet in person.
3. Our National Hispanic Pastor Lori Tapia and the Obra Hispana are issuing a video today encouraging our congregations to continue worshiping on-line.
4. Gov. Ducey has extended the stay at home order to May 15, but we expect it will be
much longer before churches should fully open again.
5. All articles on re-opening churches suggest that phase 1 would include social distancing and super-safe practices, which would include:
· Roping off pews or removing chairs to make sure no families were closer to each other than 6 feet
· Everyone attending must wear a mask
· No handshakes
· No hugs
· No physical communion
· No passing of offering trays
· No congregational singing – don’t want saliva droplets in the air
· Deep cleaning and disinfecting before and after each service
· A small worship crowd – so many church might have to offer multiple worship services, with a deep clean in between each service
I don’t know about you – but that doesn’t sound like what I’m looking for in a church experience.
6. Our best guess is that society will have to enter what they are calling “phase 3” before we
start meeting together in person again.
My friends, I assure you: I wish I had better news.
And at some level, I do.
The good news is God’s promise that the darkness will end. Weeping may linger for an evening, but joy comes in the morning. The Bible makes no promises about how quickly the darkness will end. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights. Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days and nights. We can handle that – indeed, we’ve already passed 40 days of staying at home.
But the Israelites were in the wilderness for 40 YEARS! And again, they were in Exile for 40 years. We sure hope it doesn’t come to that point. I am gaining new appreciation for these two major periods of suffering in Israelite history. I hope we never read those stories too lightly again, neglecting the depth and power of their suffering – or the power of the message that no matter how long we suffer, God’s presence is always with us, God does not forget us, and God will bring us to the Promised Land in due time. Because as much as the darkness tries to extinguish the light, the light keeps shining in the darkness, and the darkness will never overcome it.
My friends, hang in there. Keep shining your light. And in due time, we will cross the Jordan River and be together again.
Dios les bendiga.
¡Bendiciones, discípulos de Arizona!
La versión corta:
Estamos advisando a las iglesias a continuar con la adoración en línea y no apresurarse a volver a las reuniones en persona.
La versión más larga:
Obviamente, todos recibimos un mensaje mixto del gobierno federal, los gobiernos estatales, los funcionarios de salud y los medios de comunicación. Algunos estados están reabriendo, otros no. Es difícil saber qué pensar, qué creer y qué hacer.
He estado en comunicación regular con el Colegio de Ministros Regionales, los lideres de varias otras denominaciones en Arizona, y he leído más artículos sobre “cuándo reabrir la iglesia” de lo que puedo contar. Hoy envío algunos de estos artículos a todos los clérigos y congregaciones de Arizona, pero aquí hay un resumen rápido:
1. El Colegio de Ministros Regionales y el Ministro General y Presidente recomiendan
que todas nuestras iglesias permanecen en línea en el futuro previsible. Estamos enviando un
carta a tal efecto hoy.
2. Los jefes de la mayoría de las denominaciones de Arizona son alentadores o insisten en que ninguno de sus
las congregaciones se reúnen en persona.
3. Nuestro pastor hispana nacional, Lori Tapia, y la Obra Hispana están emitiendo un video hoy. Alentando a nuestras congregaciones a continuar adorando en línea.
4. El gobernador Ducey ha extendido la orden de estadía en el hogar hasta el 15 de mayo, pero esperamos que sea mucho más antes de que las iglesias se abrieran completamente de nuevo.
5. Todos los artículos sobre la reapertura de iglesias sugieren que la fase una incluiría distanciamiento social y prácticas súper seguras, que incluirían:
• Eliminando bancos o quitando sillas para asegurarse de que ninguna familia esté más cerca que seis pies
• Todos los asistentes deben usar una máscara
• Sin apretones de manos
• Sin abrazos
• No hay comunión física.
• Sin pasar de bandejas de oferta
• Sin canto congregacional: no queremos gotas de saliva en el aire
• Limpieza profunda y desinfección antes y después de cada servicio.
• Una pequeña multitud de adoración: muchas iglesias podrían tener que ofrecer múltiples servicios de adoración, con una limpieza profunda entre cada servicio.
No sé sobre ti, pero eso no suena como lo que estoy buscando en una experiencia de iglesia.
6. Nuestra mejor suposición es que la sociedad tendrá que ingresar a lo que ellos llaman “fase tres” antes de que nosotros comiencen a reunirnos en persona nuevamente.
Amigos míos, les aseguro: desearía tener mejores noticias.
Y tal vez, lo hago.
La buena noticia es la promesa de Dios de que la oscuridad terminará. El llanto puede durar una tarde, pero la alegría llega por la mañana. La Biblia no promete cuán rápido terminará la oscuridad. Llovió durante cuarenta días y cuarenta noches. Jesús estuvo en el desierto por cuarenta días y noches. Podemos manejar eso; de hecho, ya pasamos cuarenta días de estar en casa.
¡Pero los israelitas estuvieron en el desierto por cuarenta AÑOS! Y nuevamente, estuvieron en el exilio durante 40 años. Esperamos que no llegue a ese punto. Estoy ganando una nueva apreciación por estos dos grandes períodos de sufrimiento en la historia israelita. Espero que nunca volvamos a leer esas historias a la ligera, descuidando la profundidad y el poder de su sufrimiento, o el poder del mensaje de que no importa cuánto tiempo suframos, la presencia de Dios siempre está con nosotros, Dios no nos olvida y Dios lo hará. llévanos a la Tierra Prometida a su debido tiempo. Porque por mucho que la oscuridad intente extinguir la luz, la luz sigue brillando en la oscuridad, y la oscuridad nunca la superará.
Amigos míos, aguanten. Sigue brillando tu luz. Y a su debido tiempo, cruzaremos el río Jordán y volveremos a estar juntos.
Dios les bendiga.
General Minister and President on Re-Opening Congregations
Dear Church:
We are in Eastertide, when we rejoice in the good news of the resurrection, and yet so much our journey still feels like the wilderness. I continue to pray for you as we walk through these days of distancing together.
This week, some state governments are beginning to lift stay-at-home orders and allow some businesses and industries to reopen their doors. These reopening conversations are understandably raising questions about how and when churches should resume in-person worship services. These are difficult decisions, but I want to encourage you, as difficult as it is, not to rush too quickly back. It is not yet time to gather for worship in person. Click Here to Continue Reading.
Regional ministers offer a word on re-opening congregations
As your Regional Ministry colleagues, we have listened carefully and prayerfully to the questions you are asking about when and how to meet again in person as the Church. We are asking many of the same questions…
We are aware that this is an unprecedented time of challenge and uncertainty. Even medical experts are not ready to declare that they understand fully how this very contagious virus works, the range at which it can spread, or how to enhance prevention with a vaccine. It has already cost the lives of tens of thousands of our neighbors and more than a million confirmed cases have been reported in the U.S. and Canada.
The disease does not discriminate but we can take steps to protect the most vulnerable among us.
First and foremost, we write to encourage you to be patient and take your time, and not rush back into full in-person activities before we are confident it is safe to do so. Click here to read the full letter.
“Healthy at Church”
a document from the Christian Church in Kentucky
“6 Priorities You Church Must Have in Place Before Gathering in Person Again”
Article from fishhook.us
