“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
May 25, 2020
Dear Mayfield Friends and Family,
This letter comes to you with hopes of comfort and understanding on this Memorial Day 2020. Let me start out with the direct message from the United Church of Christ leadership, “We want to send a clear and strong message to the congregations who are considering going back to meeting in person: We urge you to wait until ALL safety concerns have been addressed.”
Martha, Peggy and I have been reviewing church leadership guidelines and this letter is to update and inform you as to where we are in our plans. The following information comes from the national staff, the Council of Conferences Ministers (a leadership team from among the executive ministers of the denomination’s 36 conferences), the Illinois South Conference and from the staff on the Tri-Conference (Iowa-Nebraska-South Dakota). In addition, it considers the Governor’s phases of recovery in Illinois as well.
We have been through a lot, personally and as a church, as have all people in the world. It is not easy for any of us to face the change that will forever be, but here we are together in our world of concerns. We all have questions that do not have answers available. There is yet to be a vaccine for this virus, and we cannot forget that fact. When, and this will be a long way off, we do start to phase back in it will be slow. We may try something that just doesn’t fit our needs and change it. We will need to find our way as we go. We are asking you to stay patient and safe as it pertains to church and life in general.
We are all probably wanting to know how long until we can get back to Mayfield, be with our beloved friends and pastor, and have that point in the week where we physically worship together. How long until we will be out of this level of uncertainty? The truth is we don’t know. No one knows, but what we do know is we will not put anyone in jeopardy. We will take into consideration all the available resources as they arrive from the UCC and the phases the governor has in place. We will go above and beyond to create a reasonable new way to gather when we are safe to do so. Even if the stay-at-home orders are suspended it does not mean everything is safe and wide open. We will not be taking any adaptations lightly, nor will we ignore the cost of doing so.
One fact is true, things will never be the same, but this does not mean it will be bad. Change can bring new and improved ideas and ways of doing things never imagined. Peggy always says, “The glass is always half full, you just need to decide whether you want to drink what’s in it.” Gratitude in these days will help us all get through. Self-searching in this long solitude is a gift we have never been given and we need to be sure not to miss out on this time to learn about ourselves. Stay open minded for Mayfield and yourself.
In closing, we all need to stop burdening ourselves with the weight of the “How Long” question and remember you are the beloved and that does not change with location or absence from a physical space. We all need to focus not on how long but how I can be the person I have been asked to be in this time of solitude. Know that we are working in the background, considering all the possible ways a small congregation can phase back to a new and safe Mayfield. It is in our favor that we are small in number.
Finally, I found this yesterday. From the Bishop-elect of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Missouri, Deon K. Johnson:
“The work of the church is essential.
The work of caring for the lonely, the marginalized, and the oppressed is essential.
The work of speaking truth to power and seeking justice is essential.
The work of being a loving, liberating, and life giving presence in the world is essential.
The work of welcoming the stranger, the refugee and the undocumented is essential.
The work of reconciliation and healing and caring is essential.
The church does not need to “open” because the church never “closed”. We who make up the Body of Christ, the church, love God and our neighbors and ourselves so much that we will stay away from our buildings until it is safe.
We are the church.”
Patiently waiting,
Dawn Carlson
Moderator
Mayfield Congregational Church