COVID-19
Christ’s peace be with you,
People of Calvary, moment by moment, authorities are heightening precautionary measures. Health officials and experts are recommending self-restriction regarding contact with others, and travel. With all that is going on with the “Covid-19” pandemic, many have inquired whether or not Calvary should cancel services and other gatherings. As of this moment, we are going to continue our regularly scheduled events and services. This is no cavalier decision, but one that the leadership of Calvary and I have come to after prayer and serious deliberation. In the days ahead we will be constantly reevaluating the situation in our local area and deciding how best to proceed in wisdom and faith.
In Luther’s Small Catechism we learn that the 5th Commandment (You shall not murder) means, “We should fear and love God, so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.” That is to say, we should neither be negligent with regard to the recommendations of the authorities and health professionals (and by our negligence cause harm to self or neighbor), nor should we (out of fear) keep ourselves from caring for each other, or coming to the aid of those in need.
When Martin Luther was dealing with The Black Death plague, he wrote these wise words that can help inform the way we approach this pandemic:
I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance inflict and pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me however I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely as stated above. See, this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash no foolhardy and does not tempt God.”
Luther was a doctor. I don’t mean that he was a medical doctor. Nor do I simply mean that he was a doctor of theology (which he was). Rather, I mean that Luther was a pastor, and as such a doctor of the souls of his people. Like all pastors, he served under the authority and direction of the Great Physician, our Lord Jesus Christ. In the above situation Luther stated that he would “avoid places and persons where [his] presence [was] not needed.” Well, physicians are needed most where the sick and injured come to receive medicine and healing. And the sick and injured should never be afraid to seek the care that they need. As your pastor I will continue to come to the places and persons who have called me to bring the life-giving medicine and healing of the Gospel of forgiveness, resurrection and salvation through Christ.
If you are sick with the Corona virus (or have reason to believe that you have been exposed to this or some other easily transferable illness), please show care for your neighbor by seeking appropriate medical care and quarantining yourself to help contain your illness. If you are in need of spiritual care, I will not hesitate to come to you with the Word of life and the Sacrament, with prayer and song.
This being said, I would like to let everybody know the precautionary measures we are taking and advising in order to minimize risk of harm to self and others as we continue to gather together as the body of Christ.
First: We ask that each of you would be extra thorough in hand washing. This is always a good thing to do, as your hands are always touching surfaces covered with various germs. We cannot control what is on every surface we touch, but we can take control of our own bodies and care for ourselves and others by regularly and thoroughly washing our hands (and the hands of children and others who need assistance). Nearly 80 percent of illness-causing germs are spread by your hands. When you don’t properly wash your hands you spread germs to everything you touch including the food and drinks you consume or handle. Speaking of food and drink…
Second: With regard to The Lord’s Supper a few things should be said. Studies have consistently shown that you are far more likely to contract an illness from individual cups than from the chalice. The main reason for this is simple: your hands touch more germs and carry more germs than your lips do. Between the people who handle the preparation of the Communion trays, those involved in distribution and you picking up the individual cups from the tray far more hands/fingers have come into contact with the drinking surface (including your own) than ever touch the drinking surface of the chalice. That being said we are going to continue offering both individual cups and the chalice, but with the following added precautionary measures:
- The Altar Guild, Elders, other assistants and I will thoroughly wash our hands (as always), AND use gloves or altar linens when preparing the trays and other vessels for Communion.
- We will increase the number of trays in order to allow for further spacing between individual cups. This will allow for you to take an individual cup without accidentally touching the other cups around yours.
- For those receiving from the chalice, the silver and gold of the chalice combined with the 18% alcohol of the wine have some antimicrobial properties. Our current practice of rotating and wiping the chalice with the purificator (white linen cloth) give an added level of protection. However, we will also begin soaking the purificator in a strong alcohol solution in order to give an even greater level of protection.
- NOTE: Intinction (dipping the host into the chalice) is HIGHLY DISCOURAGED for several reasons, not the least of which is this: often times the person dipping the host unintentionally touches the rim of the chalice with their hand and/or dips their fingers into the consecrated wine. So, this actually increases the risk of spreading germs to others.
Third: For the time being we ask that you minimize close contact at church. This means that we will forgo our regular greeting at the beginning of service. Exchanging verbal greetings with those around you will have to suffice for now. Also, it would be wise to keep a distance of at least 3 feet from those who you did not come to church with (This may not be much different than our normal practice.).
Fourth: Rather than passing the offering plate around you may place your offering and/or your attendance card in one of two places:
- an offering plate by the rear entrance of the sanctuary as you enter or leave, or
- an offering plate at the front of the sanctuary as you come forward during Holy Communion.
Fifth: During the distribution of the Lord’s Supper you may choose to stay standing rather than kneeling at the communion rail in order to minimize the transfer of germs from the rail surface. If you desire to kneel you are welcome to, but I would recommend that you wash your hands (or at least use hand sanitizer) shortly after communing.
Sixth: We will provide hand sanitizer dispensers in the narthex and other common areas. However, while hand sanitizer is better than nothing, it is not nearly as effective in stopping the spread of germs as washing well with soap and warm water.
Seventh: We will take extra care in cleaning the surfaces in high traffic and high touch areas inside the sanctuary and around the building.
If you see something we have overlooked, please let one of the elders or ushers know so that we can address the concern. The spiritual and physical care of all of our members is of great concern to me. I pray that we would all be strengthened in our faith in God and our fervent love for one another through troubling time.
Living forever, now,
Pastor Michael James Grannis