Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Judy and I took advantage of the wonderful weather and made our first venture into the Upper Peninsula. We stayed in Munising and journeyed to Marquette and Gran Marais. We cruised the Pictured Rocks, toured in a glass bottomed boat viewing a couple of shipwrecks, sampled pasties, visited several waterfalls and enjoyed some of the local microbreweries. Weather was a bit on the cooler side but for the time we were there the sun was out and kept us warm. Great trip, great weather! There are so many wonderful treasures to see and visit in Michigan both north and south of “The Bridge.”
Sunday Worship Services
Recently, vestry discussed the disposition of one Sunday Service especially since we have experienced less restrictions regarding COVID19. I know there are those who enjoy an earlier worship hour as there are those who prefer a later time. All of us have had to make sacrifices these past three difficult years and we want to get back to “normal,” I hear you, me too! So here is where we stand:
1. The current Sunday attendance is well below pre-COVID19 numbers. This year, for a few Sundays following Easter we had about 50+ but now as we enter the summer months we are beginning to see a smaller number in attendance. At this time, we do not have the numbers to warrant two services.
2. Whenever a congregation has two or more Sunday services, it essentially creates a culture of two or more communities within the church building. Folks don’t know each other and in some cases there are those who didn’t know some people were members because they were attending at a different time!
With our current size, during this time of transition, it remains vital that we come together as one in worship, meetings and fellowship. We hear the same message/ announcements, we pray together, we can grow in Christ together and learn about each other (our similarities and differences).
3. At this time we will continue to worship at 9:30am. HOWEVER – Please hear me out (or “read me out” so to speak). There are other options for those who favor an earlier or later time.
St. David’s holds two weekday Eucharists: Wednesdays at 6:30pm and Fridays at 9:00am. Both services are brief (30 minutes), spoken, and celebrate Holy Communion. Another option is that one does not have to leave St. David’s because of the worship hour: we welcome you to attend another Episcopal community’s Sunday Service. I am aware that there is only one Episcopal community in the Lansing area currently holding an 8:00am service and that is Trinity, Grand Ledge. And there are other Episcopal communities who worship at a later hour.
In Conclusion, our present worship time is not written in stone and may change in the future. When? I don’t know. I, along with the vestry will revisit this issue during our meetings and especially, when we begin to see a change in attendance closer to pre-COVID19 numbers. For now, I believe the current time setting is best for St. David’s Sunday worship.
Please continue to reach out to your vestry members with your thoughts and concerns. I welcome you to reach out to me as well. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you for your support and mutual ministry. I ask for your prayers as I continue to keep the good folk of St. David’s in prayer.
Have a great week.
Your Servant in Christ,
Father Dave+