Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
The following message from me is a mostly repeat, with minor changes. Not because I am lazy, although that can be true at times, but rather the information you received last week is very similar to what I want to tell you again. We are resuming the practice of communion practice and starting Mid-week Outdoor Gatherings.
Communion:
We will begin with receiving communion this Sunday, July 12th. The elements to use can be picked up from our building beginning Monday, July 6th, during regular church hours. They will be available in the narthex, right when you walk in. When picking the elements up, there will be two options. One, you may pick up a prepackaged grape juice/wafer cup (looks like a coffee creamer). They will be set out and you can take as many as are needed for you and your family for the coming Sunday worship (please only take enough for one worship). Two, there are bags of ingredients to make you own communion bread at home with directions in the bag. Here is the video from the Small family on how to make the communion bread. Enjoy! (If you make the bread, you will need to supply your own wine/grape juice for communion.)
By picking up the communion elements from church, it allows us to still “distribute” them to you, as we would during a Sunday morning worship, just in a different way. If you are not able to come to church to pick them up, we can deliver them to you. Please email Mark at office@htelc.com if you would like them delivered.
There is a third option. If neither of the above ways work for you (it doesn’t matter the reason) you may always supply the bread and wine/grape juice yourself. It doesn’t need to be a special type, (but, here is a fun fact, Welch’s grape juice was originally made to be a non-alcoholic replacement for wine in communion!)
Weekly Outdoor Gatherings:
These will begin next week! There are 2 options for you to choose.
Tuesday at 7pm: This will consist of music played and sung for you, a conversation over the past Sunday’s sermon or the coming week’s Gospel lesson and prayers, specifically ending with the Lord’s prayer. Approximately 30 minutes long. Wednesday at 11am: This will consist of a camp song taught to the kids, physically distant from one another, a children’s sermon and prayers and concluding with the Lord’s prayers. (Approximately 30 minutes long.) A few items to note
- Sign-up through “Sign-up Genius” is required and we will have you sign-in again when you arrive in case contact tracing is needed in the future.
- 25-person limit for each gathering. No walk-ups allowed.
- Masks are required.
- Stay home if you are feeling sick.
- Bathrooms will be available, but you will be asked to wipe down anything you touch. Clorox wipes/disinfectants are in the bathrooms.
- Please maintain physical distance of 6’ between non-family members.
- We will be gathering under the tent in the fenced off area. Please enter through the gate on the right as you face the building.
- Please bring your own chair/blanket if possible. If you are not able to, there will be a place to indicate you need a chair on the sign-up and one will be provided for you. Lastly, this is all experimental and subject to change. Everything we are doing is the first time we are doing it. It most likely will feel awkward. When you take communion during the worship service on zoom, it may not feel the same way as when we do it on Sunday morning. That is to be expected. Remember, it is not the way it makes you feel that makes communion “work.” The feeling we get, often times, can be associated or enhanced with the circumstances that we are accustomed to, i.e. being in the sanctuary, being with other people. Communion “works” because God promises to be present in bread and wine when the words of God’s promises are spoken, despite the circumstances we are in. God’s promises remain unchanged. Trust God’s promises that are spoken and allow that to guide you in your feeling of love and forgiveness.
As always, thank you. Holy Trinity is a resilient and alive, whether or not we are meeting, physically, in our building. Thank you for the ways you are making that happen.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Tim