Newsletter, July 2021
Bill Yeomans, who does so much to keep our physical plant habitable, on Gordon Guy’s bench.
In my last newsletter column, I wrote about how the “After Times” were in sight but the transition to the “new normal” might be rockier than we expected. And indeed, although cases have dropped back to the levels they were at in the summer of 2020, and the whole province is now in a Green Zone, the pandemic continues to impact our daily lives. Members of the congregation are in very different places as far as their feelings and risk tolerance are concerned.
At the moment, our “grand re-opening” is scheduled for September 12, and we pray that nothing happens to change those plans! While the Green Zone designation still comes with restrictions, Archdeacon Robert Camara has informed us that the government intends to review and (hopefully) relax its policies again around the end of August, leading us to hope that we might be able to have a full church and sing together on that occasion. Guidelines have already been issued permitting choirs to sing again under some circumstances, so the indications are promising! (Update, the following week: we have been given permission to sing as a congregation while masked and distanced!)
The Corporation, acting on a suggestion from a wise parish member, is proposing an informal moratorium of six months from the September reopening before making any major decisions, particularly about the building. We need time to remember what it’s like to be together, and to figure out what has changed and what remains the same. We need time to adjust to the changes in our worship space (the elevator, the screens) and discern what might come next.
During this time of reflection, we will use the program proposed by Primate Linda Nicholls, “Surprised by the Spirit,” to reflect on our experiences of the pandemic and share those reflections along with those of Anglicans across Canada. We will also begin the process of fundraising to pay ourselves back for the elevator project, and think about how to reopen the conversation about further building modifications (including the much-longed-for kitchen renovation!).
In our most recent parish meeting, at the end of May, we discussed the question of what to do with the stone font from St. Andrew’s, which was damaged and then reassembled during the elevator installation. It’s clear that neither putting it in the chapel nor moving it outside is a practical long-term solution for a number of reasons, so it will probably end up either at the back of the centre aisle or in the corner by the sacristy; no final determination has been made yet.
However, the conversation revealed that there is learning to be done and conversation to be had about a number of interrelated topics: sacred space, liturgy, the relationship of both to fellowship and outreach, how to welcome people with little to no church background and accommodate people of all ages and abilities, and the whole question of what our buildings and furniture are for. Pausing major decisions until next spring will give us the chance to engage these questions without the pressure to immediately make decisions and start projects.
I pray for a restful and restorative summer for all, and I look forward to seeing more of you in person soon!
In Christ’s peace,
Grace+
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