Feed your spirit
On In-Person Worship…
Peace, Friends.
If you are anything like me, you may be feeling out of sorts…again…after having not been able to celebrate Christmas with loved ones, not worshipping in person at St. Peter’s on Christmas Eve and Day, and sliding into a new year with new, yet familiar, restrictions.
But let me begin with these words.
We’re sorry.
A church without in-person Christmas worship is less than ideal, even if it is due to COVID. Fumbling on process that can delay decisions and communication is foolish. And so huge apologies to anyone who we were not able to connect with and who may have travelled to the church from far and wide only to find an empty building. Endless thanks, though, to the St. Peter’s Teams for their tireless efforts to improve situations and processes in an ever-changing pandemic landscape.
Many of you are wondering what is happening with in-person worship beyond our planned circuit breaker worship pause of December 26 and January 2.
The St. Peter’s COVID Operational Planning Team (COPT) concurs with the January 3, 2021 communique from our Eastern Synod Bishop, Rev. Michael Pryse, that in-person worship be paused immediately and for a period of at least 4 weeks; we’ve included that communique below.
On January 9 and January 23, we would invite you to tune into the St. Peter’s national television broadcast airing on CTV at 10AM Eastern. On non-broadcast Sundays in January, a curated Feed Your Spirit worship experience will be delivered to eMessenger inboxes on Sunday morning as well as posted on the St. Peter’s website (see below). Additional virtual worship opportunities may emerge in the coming days.
COPT has a meeting scheduled for January 24, with a Board meeting to follow, with the goal of communicating gathering plans for February via the eMessenger and website on January 28.
Remember, we take these measures to protect the most vulnerable among us and to do our part in helping to flatten the curve of infection.
I appreciate that these are trying times. People are tired, frustrated, and weary. Together we will make it through these difficult times.
Thank you for your patience, grace, and perseverance.
Happy New Year, friends. I hold each of you in my heart and my prayers.
Onward,
FROM BISHOP MICHAEL PRYSE
COVID-19 Update (January 3, 2022)
The following communication is sent to all Rostered Leaders, Chairpersons, and Congregations on behalf of Bishop Michael Pryse.
Dear Colleagues,
The COVID-19 situation across our Synod continues to evolve on a near daily basis. Over the Christmas holidays we have seen the tightening of restrictions in all four of our provincial jurisdictions.
Since the beginning of this pandemic, I have urged you to do whatever is necessary to protect one another and safeguard the health and safety of our communities. We have done this as an act of love for, and a gift of service to, our neighbours. Twenty-one months later, this priority still stands.
To that end, and with the information we have today, I feel that it is both prudent and responsible for Eastern Synod congregations to suspend all in-person worship services and other gatherings effective immediately and for a period of at least four weeks. I commit to reviewing this advice and communicating an updated recommendation to you by the end of January 2022. Likewise, a decision regarding the Spiritual Retreats scheduled for the month of February will be made and communicated to you as soon as possible.
I remain encouraged by the resiliency and faithfulness with which our leaders and faith communities continue to engage these challenges. Your actions are a clear proclamation of the gospel that extend far beyond the brick and mortar limits of our physical buildings. I am deeply grateful and inspired by each of you.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if we can offer support to you in these days. In the meantime, please take a moment to check in with one another, support one another, and make use of the Resource Library which is available for your use.
I am praying for you, dear partners in ministry. May God bless and keep you.
Bishop Michael
Hi Friend,
I’m glad we can be with you today in mediated fashion through a curated experience of music, liturgy, song, word, and prayer with some truly amazing artists. We are pleased to offer these videos for you to use this day or at your convenience as you feed your Spirit. For more videos click on the worship and videos tab on the navigation bar at the top of the page.
Sending good vibes your way.
Take care and stay safe.
Hi Friend,
I’m glad we can be with you today in mediated fashion through a curated experience of music, liturgy, song, word, and prayer around the themes of lament and thanksgiving. “For many it will be right to give voice together to the loss and sadness we have shared, allowing us to cry out together to God, to lament what cannot be regained, to hear again God’s promise, and to give thanks for God’s steadfast love. Though we grieve with sadness for things which cannot be restored, we look to the future with hope in Christ in whom all things are made new.”
This service and preface is crafted and adapted, with thanks, from The Methodist Church, United Kingdom, and the Church of England (Prayers of Lament, Thanksgiving and Restoration). Reflection (adapted) with thanks: Jake Owensby.
NEED TECH SUPPORT?
There’s a new program called enTECH@home that provides phone- and email-based tech support to anyone who may need a bit of technology help. This service is entirely free, and run by University of Waterloo student volunteers.
“We are happy to provide support to anyone who contacts us – this service is available to you no matter where you live or how old you are. We are happy to provide support to community members living in retirement homes and long-term care homes.”
Services are currently only offered in English. We are looking into providing support in other languages.
Common issues include:
- Problems with video calling
- Setting up an email account
- How to use YouTube
- Joining online religious services
- Other technology issues
A volunteer will make two attempts to contact you, after which we would ask you to reconnect with us and provide your updated availability. (http://www.entech.club, accessed Feb18,21)
Details are in enTECH’s graphic below.
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