The 4th quarter of 2020 brought more changes to an already disrupted year. After enjoying a short season of in-person worship, the increasing COVID positivity rate and threat of a new COVID variant caused Bishop Gutierrez to reinstitute Phase 1 restrictions, which moved us back to Live Stream services. We are encouraged that new vaccines offer hope for a return to normal, perhaps by the fall. Even so, it’s difficult to go backwards.

It is a new year and a new semester! Students and young adults are looking towards the spring. Some will be taking classes from home while others are preparing to move back onto campus. Those not taking classes are still navigating different work dynamics as state policies around COVD-19 shift and are revised. It may be a new year, but we are riding the same wave from 2020 until we reach shore. 

We are in the middle of our Epiphany sermon series on ‘Walking with the Holy Spirit’. As part of our theme of ‘Deep Calls to Deep’ we are thinking about how we discern the Spirit’s voice in our day to day walk with Jesus. I want to lay out some of those pointers here to encourage you and stir your Spirits so that we make the best of this pandemic season we find ourselves in.

The bishop has looked at the numbers for Covid with his team and decided to continue the Diocese in 'Phase 1' until at least the end of the month. This will be very disappointing for many of you. I, in particular, had very much looked forward to welcoming some of you in person at this Sunday's services - but it will not now be possible until the beginning of February at the earliest.