Pastoral Letter of April 7
Pastoral Letter of April 4
Pastoral Letter of March 28
Pastoral Letter of March 25
Pastoral Letter of March 21
Pastoral Letter of March 18
Pastoral Letter of March 14
Pastoral Letter of March 12
Pastoral Newsletter from March 4
Over the last few weeks, the news cycle has been dominated by Coronavirus, or CoViD-19. My own preferred news websites all have multiple stories about it daily - number of victims, rate of spread, estimates of fatality rates, and how to prepare. It might not rise to the level of panic yet, but it sure isn't from a lack of effort by the news media.
It is easy to be afraid... diseases remind us of how much is outside of our control. Is that tickle in my throat a symptom? Is that headache something more? And how can I make sure that I (and my loved ones) don't get sick?
Let me share some specifics as of right now (3/5/20) about the situation and then some pastoral observations. As of today, the World Health Organization reports that there are nearly 91,000 confirmed cases of CoViD19 worldwide (80,000 are in China, where the outbreak began), with about 3,000 deaths (almost all in China). You can click here for the WHO daily reports.
That's a fatality rate of 3.2%. Well... maybe. Some people have tested positive for the virus (for instance, on quarantined cruise ships), but never experienced any symptoms. That means that while the number of deaths is pretty certain, the number of infections is probably larger than the 91,000 confirmed cases. Most epidemiologists estimate the fatality rate is actually much lower than 3%.
Now... a 3% fatality is a bad thing, undoubtedly. So is a 1% rate, which may be more realistic. But let's try to give those numbers some perspective.
According to the WHO, influenza causes between 250,000-500,000 deaths every year. This year, in America alone, over 18,000 people have died from influenza A or B. The good news is that the fatality rate for influenza is about 0.05%. On the other hand, flu spreads more easily than corona, as far as doctors can tell.
Why share all of this? I'm not a doctor. I'm a pastor.
A growing number of people have contacted me asking if we should take precautions for the coronavirus. Some have proposed that we shouldn't have the passing of the peace, for example. And while no one in our congregation has said it to me, I have read articles by pastors who have had parishioners indicate their intention to refrain from communion or even from church attendance for fear of infection.
Infections are a part of life in a world that has been tainted and twisted by sin. All disease is a reminder of our fragility and our dependence on God for all things.
But we shouldn't panic. We mustn't. God has seen His church through countless plagues and outbreaks over the years. What we receive at church - the Word, the Sacrament, and the mutual consolation of our brothers and sisters - is invaluable to our walk of faith. Online sermons and even home communion are valuable things, surely, but not full substitutes for God's desired plan. Consider the warning in Hebrews 10:25: "Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Throughout history, and to this day in some places, Christians had to gather in fear, knowing that doing so might end their life. Not by catching a virus with a 1% fatality rate, but because discovery would mean execution. Wouldn't it be sad if we could not risk a 1% virus when others take much greater risks for their worship life? Wouldn't it be ironic if due to infection fears, the first part of the service we abandoned was the part where we wish one another Christ's peace? Isn't Christ's peace exactly what we need during an anxious time?
Now, that said, we shouldn't be reckless. If you are sick, stay home rather than risk spreading the illness (and I am happy to bring communion to you when you can't get to church). If shaking hands genuinely causes you anxiety, then a wave or a fist bump are certainly fine: I think people will understand. It being flu season and CoViD19 being a concern, we will be adding hand sanitizer dispensers in each pew for people to use whenever they think it helpful. (Before and after the passing of the peace are certainly ideal times to do so.)
But let's not forget that Jesus instructed his disciples, as he sent them out into a dangerous and even deadly world: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:28-31
Perhaps the question isn't: "How risky is going to church?", but rather "How risky is not going?"
Trusting in God with you,
Pastor Rob Morris
PS - On a related note: I recently read a great quote: "What do you get when you mix politics with science? You get politics." One piece of advice I would give regarding coronavirus specifically is that you seek out official reports (like the WHO report linked above) with reliable data before forming opinions and reactions on what is clearly a difficult and challenging topic.
It is easy to be afraid... diseases remind us of how much is outside of our control. Is that tickle in my throat a symptom? Is that headache something more? And how can I make sure that I (and my loved ones) don't get sick?
Let me share some specifics as of right now (3/5/20) about the situation and then some pastoral observations. As of today, the World Health Organization reports that there are nearly 91,000 confirmed cases of CoViD19 worldwide (80,000 are in China, where the outbreak began), with about 3,000 deaths (almost all in China). You can click here for the WHO daily reports.
That's a fatality rate of 3.2%. Well... maybe. Some people have tested positive for the virus (for instance, on quarantined cruise ships), but never experienced any symptoms. That means that while the number of deaths is pretty certain, the number of infections is probably larger than the 91,000 confirmed cases. Most epidemiologists estimate the fatality rate is actually much lower than 3%.
Now... a 3% fatality is a bad thing, undoubtedly. So is a 1% rate, which may be more realistic. But let's try to give those numbers some perspective.
According to the WHO, influenza causes between 250,000-500,000 deaths every year. This year, in America alone, over 18,000 people have died from influenza A or B. The good news is that the fatality rate for influenza is about 0.05%. On the other hand, flu spreads more easily than corona, as far as doctors can tell.
Why share all of this? I'm not a doctor. I'm a pastor.
A growing number of people have contacted me asking if we should take precautions for the coronavirus. Some have proposed that we shouldn't have the passing of the peace, for example. And while no one in our congregation has said it to me, I have read articles by pastors who have had parishioners indicate their intention to refrain from communion or even from church attendance for fear of infection.
Infections are a part of life in a world that has been tainted and twisted by sin. All disease is a reminder of our fragility and our dependence on God for all things.
But we shouldn't panic. We mustn't. God has seen His church through countless plagues and outbreaks over the years. What we receive at church - the Word, the Sacrament, and the mutual consolation of our brothers and sisters - is invaluable to our walk of faith. Online sermons and even home communion are valuable things, surely, but not full substitutes for God's desired plan. Consider the warning in Hebrews 10:25: "Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Throughout history, and to this day in some places, Christians had to gather in fear, knowing that doing so might end their life. Not by catching a virus with a 1% fatality rate, but because discovery would mean execution. Wouldn't it be sad if we could not risk a 1% virus when others take much greater risks for their worship life? Wouldn't it be ironic if due to infection fears, the first part of the service we abandoned was the part where we wish one another Christ's peace? Isn't Christ's peace exactly what we need during an anxious time?
Now, that said, we shouldn't be reckless. If you are sick, stay home rather than risk spreading the illness (and I am happy to bring communion to you when you can't get to church). If shaking hands genuinely causes you anxiety, then a wave or a fist bump are certainly fine: I think people will understand. It being flu season and CoViD19 being a concern, we will be adding hand sanitizer dispensers in each pew for people to use whenever they think it helpful. (Before and after the passing of the peace are certainly ideal times to do so.)
But let's not forget that Jesus instructed his disciples, as he sent them out into a dangerous and even deadly world: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:28-31
Perhaps the question isn't: "How risky is going to church?", but rather "How risky is not going?"
Trusting in God with you,
Pastor Rob Morris
PS - On a related note: I recently read a great quote: "What do you get when you mix politics with science? You get politics." One piece of advice I would give regarding coronavirus specifically is that you seek out official reports (like the WHO report linked above) with reliable data before forming opinions and reactions on what is clearly a difficult and challenging topic.