A Special Message from
Rev. John MacIver Gage, senior minister
May 20, 2020
Dear Beloved Friends,
As I’m sure you all know by now, this past Monday Governor Baker announced his administration’s guidelines for a phased re-opening of the Massachusetts economy and easing of the stay-at-home orders that have helped us blunt the curve of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic in our communities. Houses of worship are included in the first phase, meaning communities of faith may once again return to their buildings if they choose, albeit with exacting restrictions designed to try to safeguard against a deadly rebound of coronavirus infections.
Our Board of Directors and Deacons have been meeting frequently and prayerfully through this crisis, and we discussed this issue specifically last week in anticipation of the Governor’s announcement. Both boards agree unanimously that our congregation will not return to worship in our building until at least next fall. This isn’t because we don’t miss being together. We do, intensely, and we look forward to the day we may gather in-person again, safely. But I am reminded in this moment of the words of the Apostle Paul: “All things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial” (1 Corinthians 6:12).
For as we reflected on those things in the life of our church that we are unable to do remotely—most notably singing together and just being physically close—and determined that we still wouldn’t be able to do either safely were we to choose to gather in person sooner, we came to the conclusion that it’s simply not worth the risk, especially to most vulnerable among us (and there are many). We make this difficult decision in faithful response to our call from Christ, the Good Shepherd, to shape our life together around our concern for the welfare of our neighbors, to leave the 99 safely at home for the sake of the one.
So we will continue to gather online for worship and meetings and continue to coordinate care for one another one-on-one, leaning into both the very newest and very oldest ways of being church. In this extraordinary and trying time, I am grateful for the ways leaders in our congregation have stepped into new duties to shepherd the church and for the technological tools that, while not perfect, have been a godsend in this moment, allowing us to see and hear and share and support one another safely. I certainly hope we’ll take some of the lessons we’re learning now into the next phase of our life together, whenever that day arrives. In the meantime, I am excited to work with you in the months ahead to come up with creative, safe ways to live out our faith particularly our desire to help our neighbors in need and our passion for justice.
I am grateful for you all, as well, for the grace and good humor and honest-to-God faith you model for me as we live through this crisis together, apart. You demonstrate daily the truth of one of my favorite passages of scripture, also from Paul, from Romans 8:38-39:
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Peace,
John
Dear Beloved Friends,
As I’m sure you all know by now, this past Monday Governor Baker announced his administration’s guidelines for a phased re-opening of the Massachusetts economy and easing of the stay-at-home orders that have helped us blunt the curve of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic in our communities. Houses of worship are included in the first phase, meaning communities of faith may once again return to their buildings if they choose, albeit with exacting restrictions designed to try to safeguard against a deadly rebound of coronavirus infections.
Our Board of Directors and Deacons have been meeting frequently and prayerfully through this crisis, and we discussed this issue specifically last week in anticipation of the Governor’s announcement. Both boards agree unanimously that our congregation will not return to worship in our building until at least next fall. This isn’t because we don’t miss being together. We do, intensely, and we look forward to the day we may gather in-person again, safely. But I am reminded in this moment of the words of the Apostle Paul: “All things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial” (1 Corinthians 6:12).
For as we reflected on those things in the life of our church that we are unable to do remotely—most notably singing together and just being physically close—and determined that we still wouldn’t be able to do either safely were we to choose to gather in person sooner, we came to the conclusion that it’s simply not worth the risk, especially to most vulnerable among us (and there are many). We make this difficult decision in faithful response to our call from Christ, the Good Shepherd, to shape our life together around our concern for the welfare of our neighbors, to leave the 99 safely at home for the sake of the one.
So we will continue to gather online for worship and meetings and continue to coordinate care for one another one-on-one, leaning into both the very newest and very oldest ways of being church. In this extraordinary and trying time, I am grateful for the ways leaders in our congregation have stepped into new duties to shepherd the church and for the technological tools that, while not perfect, have been a godsend in this moment, allowing us to see and hear and share and support one another safely. I certainly hope we’ll take some of the lessons we’re learning now into the next phase of our life together, whenever that day arrives. In the meantime, I am excited to work with you in the months ahead to come up with creative, safe ways to live out our faith particularly our desire to help our neighbors in need and our passion for justice.
I am grateful for you all, as well, for the grace and good humor and honest-to-God faith you model for me as we live through this crisis together, apart. You demonstrate daily the truth of one of my favorite passages of scripture, also from Paul, from Romans 8:38-39:
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Peace,
John