Dear Restoration,
I'm comforted by the fact that God knew these days were coming, and he promises never to leave us. He is our refuge and strength. Furthermore, we are the Church! We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who know what it's like to grow closer to God in times of trial. They entrusted to us their stories and prayers as reminders that God is faithful from generation to generation. And now it's our turn to live out the story.
I'd like to give you a quick snapshot on some preliminary thoughts about this new season in front of us.
First, some hard realities. Our government and health experts have asked that people do not gather in groups and that we only leave our homes for essential tasks. On the very local front, our Park District closed the Community Centers until early April. I would love for this plague to be lifted immediately so that we may return to normal living, but until that happens, Restoration is honoring the government's guidelines and preparing for the days ahead.
The mission of Restoration has not changed. We are a part of a revival movement, and now more than ever, God will use our church to restore lives.
Our commitment is to use this time to embolden the priesthood (and monkhood!) of all believers. We want to equip you to shepherd your family, friend-group, co-workers, and other relationships. When all this is over, may those around us remember that Christians loved others well. So, here are some steps we're taking.
HOME LITURGY
Many of you reached out saying that you enjoyed last Sunday's Worship Guide. It was lovely to receive so many "Peace be with you!" texts throughout the day. Please do let me know if you have any constructive feedback on that service, but since everyone was overwhelmingly positive about it, we've decided to continue with that format for the next two Sundays and then reassess.
Since we know not everyone owns a 2019 Book of Common Prayer, we're also working on resources for us to use on a daily basis. Stay tuned.
CHURCH LIFE
The staff and leaders have been brainstorming lots of ways that we can move many of our beloved events online. Here are some of our ideas:
Life Groups Online
Virtual Sessions
Cell Groups for Accountability, Evening Prayer, or Compline
Member's Interview Podcast
While you may be socially distanced, you are not alone.
GENEROSITY
Many of you have already been reaching out, asking how you can support those who are being impacted in acute ways. We're working on ways to make this super easy for our congregation, and will have more to share as we finalize plans, but please know that something is in the works.
Let’s Talk!
Pass the Peace. Can you do me a favor? Can you send me a super short video of you saying, "Peace be with you!"? You can email or text those to me, and I'll find a way to compile and send them out to the church as a fun, small way for us to see each other's faces!
Pastor Chat. Many of you have used my online booking tool to find a time for us to get together. I've updated that for scheduling phone or web calls. If you want to schedule a time for you and I to have a web call, please make use of that.
I'd love to close from a particularly apt prayer from page 659 of the BCP:
Increase, O God, the spirit of neighborliness among us, that in peril we may uphold one another, in suffering tend to one another, and in homelessness, loneliness, or exile befriend one another. Grant us brave and enduring hearts that we may strengthen one another, until the disciplines and testing of these days are ended, and you again give peace in our time; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessings to you all,
Fr. Rick
