St. Peter’s COVID-19 Update

June 24, 2020

Dear beloved sisters and brothers of our St. Peter’s faith community,

“How long, O Lord?” was the cry of numerous psalmists, prophets, faith leaders, and faith servants in the stretch of time represented in the Bible. And it was the desperate plea of many a child of God, many a follower of Jesus, from biblical times to the present.

“How long, O Lord?” is the cry of black Americans over several centuries, still wondering when there will be true justice and an end to racism… newly ignited and empowered by recent deaths (a nine-minute recorded murder of George Floyd was the breaking point) to march, shout, demand, work, and pray (and hoping for the support and activity of others) for equality, justice, and peace in a nation that has sometimes “talked” it but has never yet “walked” it. So many lives have been lost over the centuries, so many black and brown persons have suffered.

“How long, O Lord?” is the cry of a still stunned nation that is still trying to find a balance between personal freedom, economic equilibrium, and the health of our fellow Americans in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. So many lives have been lost in just a few months, so many have suffered… and yes, a high percentage have been black and brown citizens.

“How long, O Lord?” Please know that your Pastors and your Church Council – the twelve members of St. Peter’s that you elected to be your servant-leaders in 2020 – are holding you in our hearts and in our prayers during these tiresome and troubled times. No doubt, many in our congregation are feeling weary and anxious and numbed by both the systemic racism and the COVID-19 pandemic. Perhaps, in both cases, life will never be exactly the same again.

“How long, O Lord, until racism in our nation ends?”

This pandemic goes back to before there was a United States of America. Your Pastors and Church Council encourage you to pray for strength and courage to hold on to love through it all… to continue to live in opposition to white supremacy and all forms of racism and prejudice… to call and work for justice, to commit to, and show forth peace… and to envision and to help enable a safer America, a fair America, an equal and truly greater America. Because St. Peter’s is a black congregation (in a Lutheran denomination that is actually 98% “white”), virtually all of our members have been “on the battlefield for my Lord” throughout their entire lives. The work continues. Let there be positive, lasting breakthroughs!

“How long, O Lord, until we get back in the sanctuary and back to the church?”

Our Church Council “zoomed” twice, meeting online and by phone on May 26 and June 15, to discuss reopening. At the May meeting, we voted to follow the encouragement (but not an order!) of the Rev. Patricia A. Davenport, Bishop of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,  to refrain from indoors, in-person worship until at least July 1. At the June meeting, we discussed the continued high risk of community spread of COVID-19 even as many states, communities, and individuals are throwing their face masks aside, kicking social distancing to the curb, and crowding together. We voted at that June meeting – out of concern for the health and well-being of our members, families, and friends… and given the present risks as well as very restrictive guidelines on how to have public worship in the building – to plan to wait until September before indoors, in-person worship. Recently a letter was received from Thomas Farley, MD, Health Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia, urging religious organizations to currently refrain from holding in-person worship services or other gatherings. Throughout the U.S. and in our city, some faith communities are back to physically gathering; and in some cases, there have been outbreaks and even deaths. We certainly do not want to endanger anyone.

Some additional notes:

• Sunday Zoom worship continues at 10:00 a.m.  We’re averaging about 65-70 households.

WITH A COMPUTER, TABLET, OR SMARTPHONE, enter:    https://zoom.us/j/5977365682
Then enter the MEETING ID: 5977365682
You may also need to enter the MEETING PASSWORD: 204934

OR YOU CAN JOIN BY PHONE
Call:     312-636-6799     or     646-558-8656     or     346-248-7799
The MEETING ID: 5977365682    The MEETING PASSWORD: 204934

YOU CAN ALSO FIND INFORMATION:
WEBSITE:     stpeterswol.org            FACEBOOK:      facebook.com/StPetersWOL

• Offerings continue to be received. Ben Shipanga has reported that 2020 Budget Income for January to May was $65,088.33; 2020 Budget Expenses totaled $70,177.00. So we are $5,088.67 “in the red”.  That’s not too bad in these pandemic days of economic challenge! St. Peter’s members and friends have continued to offer gratitude to the Lord and to extend the Lord’s love by giving! You can mail your offerings, drop them off at the Parsonage or the Church Office entrance, or give online:

Send a text message to 833-914-0896 with the amount you would like to contribute. You’ll be sent a text with a link to register. Click on the link and enter your cardholder name and debit or credit card information. Once your registration is complete, you will receive a text verification and a receipt of your donation via email. For future giving, send a text with the amount that you wish to give, and it will process automatically! Give+Text is one of the fastest, easiest ways to give.

• Three food distributions continue. The next “Whole Foods” distributions are July 1, 15, 29. The next “FOOD SHARE” distribution is July 18. The next “Senior Food Box” distribution is July 24.

Those who are blessed enough to be a blessing might give an offering this summer to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal to help address international, national, and local hunger issues.

• The “six month” Congregational Meeting, scheduled for July 28, is canceled.
  Most other activities are on hold, though Women’s Ministry has had a monthly Zoom gathering.

Continue to do what is safe for you and for others. Don’t get caught up in the rush back to “normal”. Stay faithful in your living and fervent in your loving, especially in these times of erratic behavior and polarized attitudes.  We are grateful for each of you and for God’s blessings and promises in the midst of the storms!

Looking forward to a better future in Christ,

Pastors NEIL and GWEN and the ST. PETER’S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH Council Members