COVID Update 8-18-21

Dear Plymouth Family,
 
I have LOVED seeing you in worship these past six weeks! Baptism, live singing, outdoor fellowship, reuniting with friends, worshipping God outdoors and in our sanctuary...it has been a blessing! I hope that it has given you the spiritual lift it has given me. (And the timing of our new livestream couldn't have been better!)

And it is dispiriting to have the Delta variant intrude and cause some of us to feel anxious, fearful, and unsafe when we venture beyond our homes. I share your feelings..."Didn't we just come out of a pandemic nosedive?" ... "Will we ever reach a new normal?" ... "We've been vaccinated, faithful, and safe, why are we paying the price now?"

Our emotions may on a bit of a rollercoaster, and there is a heightened sense of anxiety in our society and community again, even if we aren't aware of them. (Our conference staff yesterday confirmed this is popping up in churches all over the Rocky Mountain Conference.)

What can we do about it? One thing is to be intentional about dealing with our emotions. If you feel upset with someone or sense despair with a situation, practice the pause: Close your eyes, take a couple of slow, deep breaths, clench and release your hands several times. Ask yourself what you are really, truly upset about; ask whether it's something you have control over, and if not, ask God to handle it. I'm finding this helpful because there is so very much that is beyond our control right now. It takes faith and courage to live positively in this moment, and Christians across the millennia have done just that during times of plague and pestilence, and we can, too. 

Knowing that our congregation's emotional and spiritual health is delicate right now, on Monday evening our Pandemic Team decided to stay the course in terms of worship and meetings for the time being. So, our services this Sunday will be at summer hours: 10:00 & 6:00 and then on August 29 (Jubilee Sunday), we will begin our new fall worship hours at 9:00 & 11:00.

The Pandemic Team is introducing a few tweaks so that we can continue to meet with the greatest safety possible:

• Coffee Hour will happen exclusively outdoors. (Stay in Fellowship Hall and you'll risk being whisked outside by a deacon! 😉 )
• Communion will not happen within any of our services for the time being. Instead, you may join one of the ministers for communion in the Memorial Garden off the West Wing at 10:00 each Sunday beginning August 29.
• Anytime you are at Plymouth, you must wear a mask and observe social distance. Our staff will only unmask when working alone in their offices. Masks are available at our entry doors. 
• In-person meetings are still allowed, but please open windows and doors for ventilation when you are meeting. Consider using a larger room if distancing is an issue. (Barb Gregory can help you schedule the Fellowship Hall, North Room, Forum Room, or Fireside Room.)
• For our upcoming memorial service, guests must be masked and use social distance, and refreshments will be available outside following the service. 

I am grateful to Mel Huibregtse and the members of the Pandemic Team for seeing the big picture and for keeping our safety as a congregation at the forefront. They continue to use the best information available from the CDC, Larimer County Health, and their own experience to make the tough calls to keep us as safe as possible.

We all know that there are no guarantees in life and that our tradition is replete with stories of acting on faith and not relying on the illusion of security that things like wealth, health, material comfort, and even family can provide. God is with us through all of it and will continue to be. May you sense God's presence this and every day and continue to live in faith and courage.

Shalom,