Dear People of St. James’,
I suspect that you are aware of the worrisome changes in health conditions related to COVID-19 in our region. This is where we are today. Austin Public Health announced yesterday that it expects to open the Convention Center as an alternate site for COVID care because of the severity of this surge.
Because our Task Force for Regathering and Vestry have long counseled the wisdom of returning to online worship in the event that we reach Stage 5, we plan to continue to gather online for worship and fellowship. I am not going to put a date certain on resuming in person worship outdoors at this time.
We are also making some other adjustments given the seriousness of this stage in other parts of our life together. For example, we are putting quartet-based music recording on hiatus for the time being. That means that we will be postponing our January Jazz from St. James’ until sometime later in the spring. We are also reducing in-office hours and overlapping office hours for our staff once again. So, be sure to call before you drop by.
We continue to make these decisions in conversation with other local heads of congregations, Episcopal and otherwise, members of the congregation, and health professionals. As always, different communities and different individuals are making different sorts of decisions. While we feel really confident about the protocols we’ve been implementing in our outdoor, masked, distanced services, we do not want to lead people who may be at higher risk for the severe effects of COVID-19 into temptation. So, let us gather in ways that are available to the greatest breadth of our diverse community!
Explore your options. If you are looking for something more interactive, join us by phone, tablet, or computer on Zoom. If you want to jam out to your favorite hymns with full voice where no one can see your own version of liturgical dance, join the Facebook Watch Party or just tune in to the video.
St. James’ will still do the distinctive things we do to carry on our traditions in this season after Epiphany. Join us for MLK weekend, the Annual Parish Meeting, and Absalom Jones Day! Read Bishop Curry’s book with us as we meditate on the way of love.
I look forward to being with you in person again, but now is the time for personal caution and prayer for those who are sick and for those who are on the front lines.
The Rev. Eileen O’Brien
