Category: 3. Quarantine Messages from Beyond St. Peter’s >>

March 27, 2020

Dear church,

The last couple of weeks have been trying ones for everyone across this church. Our synods, congregations and ministries are facing challenges that they’ve never faced before. Being church together means more now than ever before.

The churchwide office is launching a comprehensive Covid-19 response across the ELCA beginning today. We have three new approaches designed to provide several levels of support for our most vulnerable congregations and ministries. These three approaches are Daily Bread Grants, Here to Serve, and the Covid-19 Response Appeal.

DAILY BREAD GRANTS

ELCA World Hunger is announcing the immediate launch of Daily Bread Matching Grants. Through these grants, ELCA congregations can raise funds for their feeding ministries using an online fundraising platform and will receive a grant of $500 from ELCA World Hunger. Up to 100 Daily Bread Matching Grants are available for ELCA congregations on a first-come, first-served basis, with the possibility of more grants becoming available in the future. Apply or donate here.

HERE TO SERVE

The churchwide organization is inherently a resource in support of the members, congregations, synods and partners of the ELCA. During this time, Domestic Mission will pivot to a project-based, service-oriented structure so this church knows we are here to serve. By the first week of April, we will launch a chat function on ELCA.org along with an 800 hotline for prayer, support and questions that will be answered by our staff. As soon as these channels are live, we will let you know.

COVID-19 RESPONSE APPEAL

It’s more important now than ever to support our church across the country through these difficult times. We will begin to raise funds to support our congregations, ministries and synods. This effort will launch the week of March 30 via email and social media with a special form online to donate.

In addition to our new three-pronged response, our work continues in providing and updating resources on ELCA.org/publichealth. We are also still at work in the world. Our global mission work continues and grows in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic. We are working with our global companions to provide support where we can. Learn more about that here.

I am proud to say that even during challenging times, we continue our service in living out the mission of this church: Together in Jesus Christ we are freed by grace to live faithfully, witness boldly and serve joyfully.

Peace and be well,

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton

Presiding BishopEvangelical Lutheran Church in America

March 24, 2020

Greetings Beloved,

Grace and peace to you in the name of the One who can do all things but fail, Jesus Christ! 

This is my usual salutation, oh, but these are not usual times. The Coronavirus and COVID-19 has us as Christians, the disciples of Christ, us as the children of the Most High God, the Lutheran Tribe of the Jesus Movement, out of sorts. 

I have chosen to watch, pray and then act. I believe that faith without works benefits no one. I get the dislocation that you feel. We were mandated by our governor to halt gatherings of ten or more, then were requested to “shelter in place.” We were asked by our presiding bishop to worship virtually, fasting from communion for forty days. The list goes on: our employers asked, our families inquired, our communities…. 

Our responses are communicated in many ways, social media has moved into “HD” high definition fast and furiously. Some questions are being asked, answered (or not) in the court of public opinion. A trending question: “What is the bishop saying?  

First, there are a considerable number of messages on Ministrylink.org, our main method of communicating with our lay leaders, Rostered Ministers and partners in ministry across the five-county area. Second, the questions of worship and communion during this time of fear, anxiety and social/physical distancing have not weighed overly heavy in Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod. Most of our congregations/communities of faith find “virtual communion” to be a deviation from the norm that should not be promoted. However, I trust that our Rostered Ministers and councils are caring for their congregations/communities of faith as they see fit.

Our Synod Council and staff are more focused on staying connected in this time of mandated distancing: assisting leaders in adapting to current technology, effective on-line worship and Bible study, podcasts, etc. In particular, my attention has been drawn to the economic impact that COVID-19 is having on our ministries’ ability to pay bills, the pastor’s and staff salaries, and health benefits. In addition, how are we continuing our food ministries to those marginalized, child care ministries for the essential employees that must report to work for the sake of us all. In addition to the many who have died, are infected and economically impacted by this pandemic, you, my beloved, are in my constant prayers. These are just a few things that are on my heart, mind and prayer list. I asked that you stand with me in prayer for our leaders as they guide us through these challenging times.

Please know that our synod staff is working remotely to continue our valuable ministry of accompanying you as you have need. Please feel free to contact me personally at pdavenport@sepa.org with your questions or answers. I solicit both. Stay safe, stay blessed and stay “sheltered in place” Psalm 91:1-2

+ Peace and blessings, Bishop Patricia Davenport

From our Bishop, the Rev. Patricia Davenport:

Beloved,

I’m sure you aware that Governor Wolf ordered that all non-essential businesses in Pennsylvania need to close, effective March 17, for two weeks. This is part of the ongoing mitigation efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus. My colleague, Bishop Michael Rhyne of Allegheny Synod, shares that their synod’s attorney informed them that under the law, churches are considered non-essential businesses. (Yikes, Pastor AW)

The implication of this is clear: Congregations should not host in-person worship or in-person meetings while Governor Wolf’s order is in place. Yesterday I issued a strong recommendation for congregations to suspend in-person gatherings. I know that some of you may have planned to hold in-person worship in spite of that recommendation. 

The Governor’s order changes things. All SEPA churches should be closed for in-person worship through March 31. To do otherwise violates the Governor’s order.”

So, this means our church will be closed for public services at least through Sunday, March 29.

Finally, a word of wisdom from one of my favorite spiritual leaders of our time, Father Richard Rohr from the Center of Action and Contemplation (CAC) in New Mexico:

A Message from Richard Rohr about COVID-19

Love Alone Overcomes Fear 
Thursday, March 19, 2020

It is shocking to think how much the world has changed in such a brief time. Each of us has had our lives and communities disrupted. Of course, I am here in this with you. I feel that I’m in no position to tell you how to feel or how to think, but there are a few things that come to mind I will share. 

A few days ago I was encouraged by the Franciscans and by the leadership team here at the CAC to self-quarantine, so I’ve been in my little hermitage now for three or four days. I’ve had years of practice, literally, how to do what we are calling “social distancing.” I have a nice, large yard behind me where there are four huge, beautiful cottonwood trees, and so I walk my dog Opie every few hours.

Right now I’m trying to take in psychologically, spiritually, and personally, what is God trying to say? When I use that phrase, I’m not saying that God causes suffering to teach us good things. But God does use everything, and if God wanted us to experience global solidarity, I can’t think of a better way. We all have access to this suffering, and it bypasses race, gender, religion, and nation. 

We are in the midst of a highly teachable moment. There’s no doubt that this period will be referred to for the rest of our lifetimes. We have a chance to go deep, and to go broad. Globally, we’re in this together. Depth is being forced on us by great suffering, which as I like to say, always leads to great love. 

But for God to reach us, we have to allow suffering to wound us. Now is no time for an academic solidarity with the world. Real solidarity needs to be felt and suffered. That’s the real meaning of the word “suffer” – to allow someone else’s pain to influence us in a real way. We need to move beyond our own personal feelings and take in the whole. This, I must say, is one of the gifts of television: we can turn it on and see how people in countries other than our own are hurting. What is going to happen to those living in isolated places or for those who don’t have health care? Imagine the fragility of the most marginalized, of people in prisons, the homeless, or even the people performing necessary services, such as ambulance drivers, nurses, and doctors, risking their lives to keep society together? Our feelings of urgency and devastation are not exaggeration: they are responding to the real human situation. We’re not pushing the panic button; we are the panic button. And we have to allow these feelings, and invite God’s presence to hold and sustain us in a time of collective prayer and lament.  I hope this experience will force our attention outwards to the suffering of the most vulnerable. Love always means going beyond yourself to otherness. It takes two. There has to be the lover and the beloved. We must be stretched to an encounter with otherness, and only then do we know it’s love. This is what we call the subject-subject relationship. Love alone overcomes fear and is the true foundation that lasts (1 Corinthians 13:13).