Dear People of St. James’,
It was so wonderful to see many of you in person, even from a distance on St. James’ Day for the car parade! This event certainly got some conversations going about when we can expect to do more in person things.
People have been responding hopefully to some good signs, and it is true that case numbers and hospitalizations have come down from their peak in late June.
This Austin Public Health dashboard should look familiar to you if you have been following city updates from Mayor Adler. It looks as though over the last week or so, hospitalizations have plateaued at the top of the Stage 3 range. But, notice, how much higher this plateau is than previous plateaus. As we learned back in June, easing precautions too early could lead to a quick trip back into the red zone.
Get ready for some real talk.
The diocese has authorized the Vestry and clergy of individual congregations to make decisions for their own communities about when they re-engage in person worship. They have recommended that we observe local Stay-at-Home orders, guidance from local health authorities (like Austin Public Health), and required that we follow our diocesan-approved plans. Not every congregation will follow the diocesan recommendations. A real test of the strength of diocesan recommendations will be: What happens if the Stay-at-Home orders set to expire on August 15 are extended in an effort to bring case numbers down before AISD re-opens? I think this extension of the Stay Home Save Lives order is likely. I also think that it is likely that some congregations may decide not to follow this guidance.
This means that there will be a good deal of variety in terms of what each congregation in the greater Austin area chooses to do. Over the coming season, I bet that you will have questions about why this congregation over across town is doing one thing and why we are doing something else. And I want you to know that the Vestry, the Phase II Task Force, and I are open to your questions. We will do our best to hear your feedback and explain the sometimes complicated calculus that went into decision-making. We are also going to adapt our plans in response to what’s happening around us – not so much to keep up with the Joneses, but to continue to live into the distinctive mission and identity of St. James’ in this time.
Because this virus spreads most easily by people breathing the same air together in enclosed spaces, we are not going to rush back into indoor worship. This inclination has been affirmed in our survey and in conversations with many of you, as well as in discussions with health professionals. It’s also affirmed by the experience of some congregations in Houston (who have more clergy backup than we do) who put a lot of effort into opening their doors just prior to the recent spike, had disappointing attendance, multiple exposure situations, and were forced to close their doors again. The high plateau in hospitalizations on which we stand is yet another decision-making point for our larger community. If we lose our discipline and ease up too early, we cut off options for recovery and re-gathering in the future.
Instead, we are continuing to invest our efforts in building connection and vibrant community with the online tools at our fingertips. We are getting the right tools for connection into people’s hands who lack them. Some people have decided to allow other St. Jamesians into their bubble, so that they can engage with online worship together and have good discussion and fellowship or enable someone who is less tech savvy to connect.
On top of this structure of online gathering spaces, we will begin to build some small groups, which will meet in person, outdoors, and masked for worship or community. So, if you are part of a formation group in the fall, you will find that all key gatherings will be online because those are accessible to all (even by phone). However, a group may choose to meet in person once in a while if they follow our outdoor meeting procedures and are mindful of who might be missing out. The outdoor meeting procedure comes with a list of thoughtful ways to be hospitable to members of your group who do not feel comfortable meeting in person. Our hope is that the radical hospitality of St. James’ will shine through in the careful planning of any in-person gatherings.
Pending approval of our plan by the diocese, we hope to begin small, outdoor, distanced, masked services in English and Spanish on the weekend of August 22-23. Through these small gatherings, we will bring the celebration of the Holy Eucharist back into our communal practice.
If you would like to be a part of the first month-long phase of small, outdoor, distanced and masked services in English on Sundays at 8 am, fill out this interest form, or call the office and let us know by August 15. This will help us assess interest and figure out an equitable approach to registration. Don’t worry; we will be reaching out to people who are email-adverse, but you can help us with this!
I look forward to this new phase in our life together. Keep your ears open for news of other experiments in togetherness and eucharistic community!
Peace be with you,
The Rev. Eileen O’Brien
