Dear Friends,

Above is a picture of St. Clare of Assisi that I took in our St. Frances Chapel. I find it brings me comfort as Clare is responding to those who come to her. St. Clare Church has brought comfort to many thru the years and will continue to do so in the years ahead. This is a difficult time. The life which we were used to has changed and it will continue to change during this vicious virus outbreak. Social distancing has become our new norm. We question when it will end, and there is no answer. We are living in a time of uncertainty. Disappointments abound: seniors unable to have graduation ceremonies, vacations canceled, children not finishing the school year, people being laid off, health care professionals exhausted, and we cannot do church the way we like to do it. Our Holy Week and Easter Services will not be the same.

Yet, we must remember that we are the church. We do not need walls to be in communion with each other. We are blessed that this time of social distancing happened when we have the technology that allows us to worship together in a new way. I am excited that we have opportunities to be creative and at the same time reach back into other familiar worship services in our Book of Common Prayer. I invite you to join us in worship during this upcoming Holy Week. There will be many opportunities to experience this special time of our church year. Perhaps, you will hear the message differently than years past which may deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ. I look forward to you joining us on Zoom for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday (Stations of Cross and Noon Service), and Easter. We will send our notices with bulletins and instructions for you to join us.

Please stay well. We are a loving community who care for one another and our neighbor. Know that you are not alone; God’s love and grace flows through each and every one of us. In our own suffering, Jesus holds us and we will never be abandoned. For this we are truly blessed.

Blessings,
Rev. Maryjane Peck

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s Word to the Church: On Our Theology of Worship

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,

We find ourselves in the strange position of fasting from physical gathering for worship of almighty God, not out of sloth or disobedience, but in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, for whom the primacy of love for God and neighbor is the way of life. In the context of the coronavirus pandemic, refraining from physically gathering together to hear God’s holy word and receiving the sacrament of holy communion is itself an act of love for God and our neighbor. (click here to continue reading)