A CHANGE OF PLANS, BUT NOT OF HEART: Community and Covid-19

Last night our Leadership Table met digitally to discern a faithful response to the evolving landscape of Covid-19 and its implications for us as a people of faith.  We took a deep breath, prayed, anchored ourselves in scripture and listened for the Spirit’s guidance. Ultimately, we decided that for the sake of one another, we will no longer gather in person for the time being, but we will still be the church together. We want to care for our neighbors in the best way we can and play our part in making significant changes now in an effort to prevent prolonged crisis later.

That means:

-This Sunday we will not gather in person for DINNER CHURCH but stream a service of worship at 6:15 PM through Facebook Live. (https://www.facebook.com/kindredmontrose/) You don’t have to have an account to watch, but log in to comment with prayers. And if you have it available to you, gather a candle, something to eat and something to drink to participate and from where you are. In this way, we can still celebrate that mystic sweet communion, to nourish us even from afar.
-At our regular meeting time of 5:30PM, we will continue to offer a blessing and a meal to go for those who rely on it. We’ll have flyers with spiritual practices you can engage on your own, how to stay in contact with us, and the latest information on resources, especially for those are experiencing homelessness or financial stress.
We already have all the food, supplies, and volunteers we need for this Sunday, but please let us know if you’d be interested and available for this on a future date.

-our office will stay “open” but our office Manager, Whitney Hall, will be working remotely. The same contact information will still lead you to our staff.

-our building remains open to the many groups and meetings that call 2515 Waugh their home and we’re taking special care to clean and disinfect high-touch areas. We host several 12-step groups among other support networks that would be essential in times of stress and it will be up to those communities to decide how best to serve one another. Look for communication and postings directly from these groups for any changes.

We plan to continue in this rhythm until further notice. Just as the people of God have been dispersed in crisis before, we cling to the resilient hope that carries us through. While we are apart physically, we can still stay connected.

Here’s how we’ll STAY CONNECTED:
-A rotation of our core bread-bakers will continue to bake fresh loaves for market at Central City Co-Op to help keep the city fed and support our network of local farmers.

-We always pause for morning prayer while baking and now we’ll stream this practice. Join us for Morning Prayer through Facebook Live, Wednesdays at 8AM. ((https://www.facebook.com/kindredmontrose/) We’ll be able to check in again mid-week, pray for one another, and dip into the deep well of God’s goodness during these wilderness days.

- other planned gatherings will also shift to digital spaces. House Church on Friday, March 27th will meet through Zoom. Look for a link in days to come.

- Commit to 3. If each of us commits to checking on 3 people in our church community, we can better care for one another through whatever may come. You can decide who they are, just think of any 3 +KINDRED people you can check in on.  Let Pastor Ashley know who that is so we can make sure everyone is connected. If you don’t have their contact info, contact Pastor Ashley to figure out how best to connect. We want to be share the responsibility of caring for one another and make every effort to ensure no one is forgotten.  Give them a call or send them a message to ask them how they’re doing, if there’s anything they need, and commit to pray for one another.  If you or your household is affected directly by the virus, or if you have any need, please share it with Pastor Ashley or Vicar Morgan directly. That continues to include mental, physical, and spiritual needs of all kinds. All of all of us still matters. We still care if you just got accepted into that exciting program and need someone to celebrate with or you just need someone to walk you through some deep breaths.

OTHER THINGS YOU CAN DO:
-Pray: for our community, for the sick, the vulnerable, the lonely, the anxious, the caretakers, and the decision-makers

-Stay informed: follow local and national news like Harris County Public Health (https://www.facebook.com/HarrisCountyPublicHealth/ or http://publichealth.harriscountytx.gov/) and the Center for Disease Control (https://www.cdc.gov/ or https://twitter.com/CDCgov). Think critically about a source before sharing information to prevent the spread of dangerous misinformation

- Wash Your Hands: often, with hot water and soap, and for at least 20 second or as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday”

- Don’t touch your face: Keep germs from getting to vulnerable areas for infection.
- Social Distancing. If you absolutely must enter public spaces, stay at a distance of 6 ft from others, outside the range of potential germs.

- Prepare, share, and don’t hoard: whether it’s household cleaning products or food - take just enough for what you need so that there’s enough for everyone.
- Rest: We’re the gulf coast, we’ve been through crisis before and have come out on the other side by taking care of ourselves along the way. We know this is long and steady work and so we must pace ourselves and tend to the work God gives us day by day. We can’t help others if we’re exhausted ourselves.  This is why we all pitch in so we can take turns in this rhythm of work and rest.
-Support: The work of the church continues and we will continue to pay our staff fairly. If you haven’t done so already and you have the means, consider setting up a recurring gift to our community online through Tithe.ly. We are grateful for the many ways that you create this people called +KINDRED and support this way of life, even when it leads to unknown places. Even there, God is with us.

Romans 8:31-39

31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36As it is written,
‘For your sake we are being killed all day long;
   we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For 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 be with you until we gather again.

-          Pastor Ashley