Update about Worship & Parish Activities - May 14, 2020.

Dear Saint Stephen's,

I am so grateful for all the work and generosity of our community as you are faithful leaders in outreach, worship, and providing pastoral care to each other and our community. It has been especially meaningful on Sunday mornings to see the names on Facebook Live and to hear the readings coming from people’s homes as we worship together. Thank you for the way that each of you work to hold our community together in faithfulness. 

I know that many of you are eager for updates about worship, the vision for our community, and how we will gather or connect with each other in the future. I am writing you especially today because faith communities around Birmingham are making decisions on how they are going to reopen, while following the guidelines as set out by our health department and the CDC. On Monday, I met with our Sr. Warden, Thomas Perrine, and Jr. Warden, Leslie Passafiume. While legally we could open at some capacity adhering to all sorts of restrictions, we are all of the same mind that we will not even consider gathering in person for worship during the month of May, and potentially much longer.  The Bishop announced today that he will also keep the suspension for Sunday worship in place through May 31.  There are so many variables to consider. Oddly, it is not communion or our even being in the same room that has me most concerned, but congregational singing.  

We have begun putting together a task force for resuming our gathering in person both for church activities and worship. I will share more about that committee after the Vestry Meeting on Tuesday evening.  Whether we resume in July, August, or beyond, we will need a thorough, thoughtful, and executable plan. Having the task force begin the work now does not mean we have made a decision about when.     

I keep wondering, “what is the rush”? We are able to live out our mission right now. We have several meaningful outreach projects taking place. Our Shepherd program is providing pastoral care to our community. People are reading daily reflections, participating in morning prayer, noonday prayer, and Sunday worship.  The vestry is considering some capital improvements and necessary maintenance in the nave. We will continue streaming in perpetuity. And we will continue to reach out in love to the world as Saint Stephen’s has always done. Maybe consider this an invitation to have a little longer to wear your pajamas to church!  I do hope you will consider being a Eucharistic Visitor (click here), as I imagine our ability to share communion with one another is going to look differently for some time.   

I love you all. I miss you all so much. I miss passing the peace, greeting each other as we leave the nave, and chatting around the coffee pot. But all shall be well.  Our God created the cosmos and raised Jesus from the dead. God’s got this! May our faith be our guiding confidence.   

Faithfully,

The Reverend John B. Burruss

Rector