An Update from Fr. Will
Beloved in Christ,
As Easter approaches and Springtime appears on the horizon, many of us are beginning to think about what this next season will bring with it.
One thing I am hoping this season will bring with it is an increasing number of us receiving our COVID vaccinations. I have received my first dose and will, Deo volente, receive my second dose the week after Easter. It has been wonderful to hear from many of you that you have received your shots and the sense of relief that goes along with them. Some parishioners have let me know that they have received their vaccinations at local pharmacies and even Walmart where it may be easier to get an appointment. Appointments are also available for those in Hamilton County at https://health.hamiltontn.org/en-us/allservices/coronavirus(covid-19)/vaccine.aspx
The sooner we are vaccinated the sooner we will be able to return to worshipping together as a community.
The other somewhat smaller change ahead is our worship together. After Easter, you will be able to register to attend on either Sunday morning or Sunday afternoon. Initially, the numbers for each service will remain small to allow for adequate social distancing. You can register by visiting the church website or calling the office Tuesday through Friday at 423-266-4263. We will continue to stream the Sunday morning service. We will continue to hold the afternoon service as long as there is a demand for it. Please register by Friday so that we can make adequate preparations.
My hope is that we are on a slow but steady trajectory toward opening more fully without taking a step back. All of this depends of course on the rate of new cases in our area continuing to decrease. I ask for your continued patience and support as we navigate these tricky waters.
My prayer is that as Holy Week continues we will continue to grow more and more into the life of our Lord. Our unity with him gives strength, character, and joy to our community together even as we remain distant for the most part. May the days ahead be a time when we find ourselves united in his love and at peace as his body, and may we show that unity together in worship sometime soon.
‘Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, make you complete in everything good so that you may do his will, working among us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.’