Dear Ones of St. Columba's,

I've been watching the weather report with an unusual fanatic zeal this week. I really don't want it to rain on Sunday, because on Sunday we will finally be celebrating Eucharist together and able to share bread with more than just the 7 or 8 folks who are present for our 9am livestream. Rain or shine, we will offer Eucharist at our outdoor pop-up church this Sunday to whoever feels safe and able to come. 

I think, given this moment, it is a good time to review how we got to this place. When the pandemic began your clergy and leadership here made the choice to continue the celebration of the Eucharist in the best way that we could - which was with a small team and livestreamed on Facebook. As we entered into Holy Week I wrote these words to you:

The Eucharist isn't something Meghan or I do for you, the people of St. Columba's. It is something that St. Columba's, as part of God's Church, does for the world. Our worship, our sacrament, feeds and sustains us. But the Eucharist is more than that - it is an offering of love for the world. The fruits of the sacrament are evident in our lives, but also somehow mysteriously present beyond the lives we live. And so despite pandemic, and for as long as we are able and allowed, St. Columba's will continue to celebrate Eucharist. I am not doing it. The seven or eight of us who gather in person on Sundays are not doing it. We, St. Columba's, are keeping the feast. 

Even then, I did not anticipate that we would be doing livestream only Eucharist for so very many months. But our resolution has been that we will offer Eucharist in the most robust way we can, and continue to hold this sacrament at the heart of our lives here at St. C's. The Eucharist is both a meal and a mystery - and its presence in our midst matters to all of us and to our world, even when some of us cannot be present.

We believe that offering Eucharist only at livestream is no longer the most robust celebration we can make. Our community has demonstrated at Pop-Up Morning Prayer that we can behave safely, maintain social distance, and worship together in person, outdoors. So this week we will celebrate Eucharist at our 11am Pop-up Church. It will happen outdoors, and we will follow diocesan protocols. This means maintaining social distance between family groups, and only receiving bread (wafers) at this time. I will not be able to hand you the bread directly, but either Meghan or myself will place it on the altar, on a napkin, and communicants will take both back to their seats to consume. 

It is our hope that this is a step forward, closer to a time when we can be indoors together, and to expressions of Eucharist that can be safely more robust. 

For the moment, I look forward to seeing some of you this Sunday and celebrating Eucharist with you in the best way we can. I continue to long for the presence of those who cannot yet safely come to church, and want you to know that we are exploring ways to connect to you sacramentally in addition to livestream, zoom and other virtual connections. We will not stop livestreaming, as this is the only service where our musical tradition can be preserved, and is accessible to everyone in our community regardless of risk. 

I cannot tell you what a gift your flexibility as a community is to me, as your Vicar. I consider myself so very deeply blessed to be in ministry, in worship, and in life alongside of each of you as we navigate these uncharted waters together. Whether you watch online, come to pop up (umbrellas recommended), zoom in on Wednesday nights, or connect in some other way, you matter to me and to this community of faith. Thank you.

with care and gratitude,

Alissa