Latest Update - 8/3/2021

Friends,

I hope you're well today. Though I’m in Michigan, I’ve continued to follow SCDHEC reporting and talk to doctors in SC. It’s very discouraging to see the numbers of cases and hospitalizations continue to rise ever more rapidly. While I’m encouraged that we benefit from a high vaccination rate in our church and that our young are less susceptible to serious sickness, we now know that the vaccinated, though largely protected from sickness, can still spread Delta.

And so, to update my email last week, I want to strongly recommend us all to mask while indoors, particularly while talking, singing, or moving around. Hear my heart: I don’t want to see any of us or our neighbors seriously ill - or worse - and the chances of that have risen sharply. This isn’t a mandate, but I believe it’s a helpful thing to do to limit any spread at Village and, on the larger scale, to constrict Delta and help prevent against another variant like it. Hopefully, this wave will begin to retreat as quickly as it has in Europe and elsewhere. Let's pray to that end.

So, can I be completely transparent? Wearing a mask again at Village is among the last things I want to do. I get a sinking feeling when I think about seeing only your eyes and not your smile again. I don’t hear as well as I used to and I hate asking for a repeat. I saw masking demoralize my son in his first year of high school and his efforts to make friends. I know to some people, continuing to wear a mask is just a practical, no-big-deal thing. To others, it just isn’t that simple - and it never will be. It is one thing to dislike it. It’s another thing to loathe it. And I loathe it - not simply for myself but because it limits healthy connection and community, which are my “job.” Add to that all the noxious discourse around masks and vaccination, and I have to ask the Lord for extra grace and patience. The sickness that has spread through America’s common life may prove to have further reaching effects than COVID-19, but I hope we as a community of Christ’s peace and security can do our part to defend against that, as well.

The doctors in our church are on my mind, too, some of whom are already caring for the newly hospitalized during this wave. I know they must have their own sinking kind of feeling. Please pray for them and for all of our healthcare workers in GVL.

Finally, logistic details: Please reserve the whole balcony and back section for those seeking distanced seating. My hope is that everyone will still feel comfortable to worship together without returning to limits on attendance and such. We will have Sunday School and Nursery care as usual, with care-givers continuing to be masked.

For you always,

Seth+

“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”
-Romans 13:8

Concerning George Floyd

All,
Our Bishop, Steve Wood, has sent the following to all clergy in our diocese and I feel it is right and good to share it with you. Honestly, I have gone through various stages trying to own and process George Floyd's death amid the burden of Covid-19, and I am sure that's true for you, too. I hope you have given space to it. +Steve emailed the below with an attachment (link). 
Peace,
Seth+

"The racism we lament is not just interpersonal. It exists in the implicit and explicit customs and attitudes that do disproportionate harm to ethnic minorities in this country."

Dear Friends, 
Just when you thought the times could not get more gut-wrenching, they do. It can be hard to know what to think - and what to do. A few of my bishop friends (with the help of Esau+ McCaulley) were thinking about the killing of George Floyd. The following letter reflects our best response. It is not meant as a political statement with which one is invited to agree or disagree. It is just the heart thinking out loud. If it helps you to think and speak about the issue, please feel free to use it. 

With prayers on Pentecost weekend for the power of the Holy Spirit to reform my heart and the hearts of all Americans. 

Yours in Christ,
+Steve

Pentecost Outside

Good Shepherd + Updates

Bishop Wood's Recovery (Article)

Click here to read the Post and Courier article.

Holy Week at Home

Palm Sunday

Weekly Update

Bread, Sunday Worship & More

All,
I have prayed for you today, that you are experiencing Jesus in spite of it all. Below you'll find everything you need to be prepared for Sunday and to take advantage of the opportunities and connections available during this difficult season we are apart. Remember, we're here. Just reach out...

Every blessing,
Seth+

- - - -

TONIGHT - Compline & Conversation - 8pm
Hosted by the Kings+. Compline liturgy here. Join the ZOOM here.

SUNDAY - Worship LiveStream - 10am
Join worship here. Download the liturgy here.
We encourage you to watch on a desktop or laptop if you can. But you can use any device!

Consecrated Bread for Sunday + Offering
Pick up is on Friday from 9am - 6pm in the Fellowship Hall.
Request Bread delivery here. Must request by Saturday at noon!
(If you do not have bread, there is a special prayer for Spiritual Communion).

We will have the offering box available for giving when you pick up your bread. Thank you.

Village Church BlogRead regularly-updated posts here.

Worship in Giving
If not in the box, please continue to support your church financially online here.

Children's Lessons & Resources
Parents, if you aren't getting emails from Sharon, email her at sharon@villagegreenville.com

Get Social
We've set up a SLACK channel to chat, share and so on. Join here.

Basically, EVERYTHING...
You can find it HERE.

Pray. Our Bishop is Sick [Updated 4/3]

Dear Village,
Please pray for +Steve Wood, our Bishop, who has contracted COVID-19 and is now in the ICU in Charleston. Though +Steve is only in his fifties, he has battled severe pneumonia several times and is in a really tough battle right now. Pray also for his wife, Jacqui, their 3 sons and their families. We serve a loving, healing Savior who is with +Steve right now. So let's unite our hearts in faith for healing as James 5:15 instructs us, asking the Lord to have mercy on the faithful shepherd of our diocese and our dear father in God. I am a witness that he is like Barnabas, "a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and faith." Thank you for praying.

In Christ's love,
Seth+

"Almighty and immortal God, giver of life and health: We implore your mercy for your servant +Steve, that by your blessing upon him and upon those who minister to him with your healing gifts, he may be restored to health of body and mind, according to your gracious will, and may give thanks to you in your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Email Update 3/17

Beloved,

We pray this email finds you well, though we know many of you are feeling generally unsettled or downright afraid.  Maybe you feel overwhelmed by the thought of social isolation, the effect of school closings, and/or the threat of financial hardship. The wellbeing of our friends and loved ones is in question and the future of this disease and its spread is unclear. It's probably safe to say everyone is feeling something they would rather not. There are no two ways about it: This is hard.

These challenges and uncertainties are real, but they can tempt us to forget what is most real: Jesus is still on the Throne. He held us before this outbreak, and He holds us now. He is still the Lord of history, the ultimate Victor over evil, and the Shepherd of our souls. He has always been the Peace-giver to our brothers and sisters around the world and throughout history whose profound daily hardships keep them desperately dependent upon him. His sovereignty doesn't mean we are negligent in our response to challenges like this, nor that we are immune to present or future suffering. It means that in all these things, we are governed by the One whose perfect love casts out fear. And we are together in his love.

So what does it look like to walk this out? 
It will be dynamic for each of us as we invite the Lord to lead us, but here are a few thoughts:

• Be conscious of how you're experiencing news and/or social media. If it is helping you stay informed and connected with people you care about, great. If it is triggering anxiety, fear, and anger, give yourself permission to step away or set boundaries. 

• Connect with the Scriptures and the daily rhythms of prayer in the Book of Common Prayer here. God's Word is a lamp for our feet (and hearts!) in this dark time.

• Look for opportunities to embrace positive interaction and/or take positive action. Yes, caution and self-care are important right now. But yes, channeling your faith, energy and resources in ways that bless others is a strong defense against fear and isolation.Click here to connect with and serve our specific community response at Village. There are 6 unique ways you can jump in, even from your home, plus a space to contribute additional ideas.

• As always, if you would like to talk through some of your fears/feelings, we're here. You do not walk alone, even now. As of today, we are still keeping office hours, so feel free to contact clergy if you need us (firstname@villagegreenville.com). There are also easy contact forms on COVID-19 Response page.

Our Sunday Worship Plan (For Now)
As you know, gatherings of 10 or more are not an option right now. So we will set up a live stream for worship on Sunday at 10am and will have consecrated bread available for pick-up and delivery on Friday, before the service on Sunday. The link for the live feed and all the details you will need will be emailed separately and be available on the COVID-19 Response page.

Other Connections...

• 8pm Thursdays - Compline and Conversation - This will be a ZOOM meeting you can join with the Kings. All the details will be on the link above. Seth+ and other leaders will be hosting some gatherings, too, for prayer, conversation and pastoral connection. These will be announced and updated at the same link. Stay tuned.

• We're working on the streaming option for our Discipleship Night: Naked & Unashamed on the 29th. We'll probably move it to a later time (8p) so parents of littles can join after bedtime. Stay tuned for that, too. (Confirmation class is postponed, btw.)

• We're also working on updating the Desmós blog with relevant inspiration - even some video posts. Comments on those posts will be a great way to connect!

Finally, brothers and sisters, hear the words of our Lord, read them aloud and let them resonate in your hearts as the Spirit reminds you of his concern for you: "These things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.“ (John 16:33)

We love you,

Your Village Pastors

UPDATE: MONDAY - 3/16

• We will cancel on-campus gatherings until further notice. This includes the Saturday Confirmation class. Greenville County Schools have been closed for two weeks and the CDC has discouraged gatherings of more than 50 (UPDATE: 10, per the President’s afternoon address).

• An emergency vestry meeting will be held tonight to pray and address pressing matters of church life due to the virus spread.

• We are exploring options for a Sunday AM live stream and the distribution of Communion via take home, drive-thru or visitation for home-bound members. Stay tuned.

• In the next 48 hours, we will be sending out information about ways to serve one another and our community, along with a request for your ideas and our initial plans.

• If you are afraid, distressed, need prayer or other help, please call 864.214.6876 or email hannah@villagegreenville.com and a clergy member on-call will be in touch.

Email Update - 3/13

All,
I've had a very informative conversation with Rhett Shirley (MD - Infectious Diseases) who works for Prisma Greenville and was gracious enough to speak with me at length. Here are a couple of details from our conversation:

• Unlike many hospitals, Prisma's Greenville presence has not diagnosed the disease yet. So they are not seeing the "spectrum of issues" that other hospitals have faced, especially in their ICU's. This is good news from a public health perspective. He does feel we will see it soon enough, though, and need to accept that it is probably already here.

• This disease is definitely worse than the flu, particularly for the elderly and those with certain preexisting health conditions. So from a public health perspective, we all need to take this seriously, regardless of age, etc.

• They have just received national testing capacities, which means they are ready to test beyond the significant limitations of what the state was able to offer. Also good news.

• He is not presently concerned about sending his own children to school. I asked him specifically what he advised for us this Sunday from a personal and public health perspective, knowing there are implications for both. He advised: No handshaking. Ask everyone to sanitize well and be conscientious. If you're sick at all, stay home, of course.

• He described the situation as "week to week."

So as of now, we will move forward with service this weekend, however...

• We will serve communion in one kind, bread only, though wine will be present in our service. 

• We will pass the Peace verbally.

• We may cancel next Sunday, the 22nd, if things worsen. That is the likelihood. We'll keep you posted.  

If we cancel, we will be reaching out with remote opportunities for spiritual growth and discipleship, including times to receive communion that forego our Sunday AM large gatherings.  

Also, because the Church is a people, not a place or event, we need to be asking:
How will the Church be the hands and feet of Jesus in this pandemic? 

Depending on how things develop locally, here are some ideas that have come from our vestry, who want to partner with you to coordinate our faithful presence:

• Stay at home moms can offer to care for the kids of working parents if schools close.

• Taking in international college students who don't have anywhere to go if their campuses close.

• Offering to be delivery people for local food banks if they need to change the way they distribute food.

• Regularly call elderly neighbors who are self-isolating to protect them from loneliness.

• Setting aside a special support fund for congregation and neighbors in need.

• Setting up a VC Shipt or Walmart delivery account to order food for those in need (especially those impacted by lack of school food for kids or inability to work)

• If allowed from a public health perspective, doing something similar to summer lunch buddies but more pick up and take home than community gathering.

• Setting up a needs spreadsheet where congregants and community can list known needs (everything from prescription pickup to someone to call and check in regularly, to prayer) and sign-up to support others.

I ask you to be praying about all of this, asking the Lord what your part might be. We'll be in touch. And if I or other clergy or staff can pray with you about anything, we're here. Email anyone with their firstname@villagegreenville.com

Love to all,

Seth+

Email Update - 3/12

What about the novel coronavirus and Village Church?
As of today, March 12, there are 2 positive and 8 presumptive cases of the novel coronavirus in SC. For now, Greenville is not facing an immediate threat of infection. But here's some info and the measures we are (and may be) taking as a Church.

• Above all, let's pray for the Lord's mercy, for healing and for the end to this thing.

• Request: If you have any signs of sickness, please stay home and get better! We will miss you.

• Reminder: As always, you can receive only the bread in communion. Receiving in one kind is full communion.

• Change: If you would like to dip your bread in the wine, please hand it to the chalice bearer who will do so and hand it back to you.

• Update: We are still drinking from the cup, if desired, but we may change this soon to allay any concerns. 

• Update: We are still passing the Peace with a handshake or hug as usual, but we may make this purely verbal in the future. If you personally prefer to keep it verbal now, just speak peace - there's no judgement. 

With many, many historic Christians, I believe the Eucharist is blessed, holy, and a means of grace. We embrace the mystery that Christ is spiritually present in the bread and wine, as he promised. It's not his bodily flesh, but it's also not just bread. Nor is the wine just wine. This spiritual reality means it isn't just any other meal with the usual infection risks. If anything, the Church has overwhelmingly believed the Eucharist is healing. But that might not be you. We are a family with some differing views on matters like this, so it's for each of us to make room for all. The best way we can do this is to partake of this blessed meal in ways that diminish fear and encourage participation from all. Why? Because we need Jesus. And this is the precious way he has made himself available to us when we gather in faith. So, let's feed on him in our hearts, by faith, with thanksgiving.

Lastly, this letter from our Archbishop is as comforting as it is wise. I hope it blesses you as it did me. If you have any questions about any of this, just reply to this email. I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Love to all,

Seth+