Dean's Pastoral Letter - March 18, 2020

A pastoral letter from the Very Rev. Tyler Doherty, Dean & Rector:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am writing to you regarding the fast-moving COVID-19 pandemic. In meeting with Bishop Hayashi and the clergy of the diocese, the decision was made to follow the directives issued by Governor Herbert to close churches for the next three Sundays.

There will be no Sunday services or gatherings of any kind on March 15, March 22 or March 29. This includes children's choir, Godly Play and adult formation classes. All weekday services and programming will also be cancelled and lay Eucharistic visits will be temporarily suspended.

At the moment, services are set to resume on Palm Sunday, but that may change in light of future developments.

This decision is not something any of the clergy take lightly, but given the unknown nature of the virus, the lack of vaccines, and the rapidly-spreading nature of the outbreak, I do think it is the right course of action. Bishop Mark Van Koevering recently wrote, “I am loathe to cancel services, but I do support the governor’s recommendation and think that I must humbly ask our faith communities to practice a Lenten fast of public worship this week as a sign of love for one’s neighbor especially the most vulnerable.” I concur wholeheartedly.

I will continue to be at the Cathedral and working, and will be available for conversation and prayer by phone. I will be posting my sermons for the coming weeks and working closely with our communications committee on how to provide other opportunities for online worship. Please stay posted for that.

These are challenging times, and it is our job as Christians to remain connected to what is life-giving. Fear, anxiety, and panic will vie for our hearts and minds in the coming weeks, but remembering who and whose we are will help us navigate the difficult times. At our Thursday Eucharist today, I found myself marveling at the follow words from Jeremiah 17: 7-8:

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,

   whose trust is the Lord. 

They shall be like a tree planted by water,

   sending out its roots by the stream.

It shall not fear when heat comes,

   and its leaves shall stay green;

in the year of drought it is not anxious,

   and it does not cease to bear fruit.

Jeremiah—himself no stranger to difficulty and a man who knew famine, drought, exile, and persecution under a foreign power—reminds us that remaining rooted and grounded in God, trusting in the Lord, will give us the strength we need to face the days to come. When we are connected to our source through prayer and the reading of scripture, we plant ourselves in what nourishes, feeds, and gives life. We tap into the water that banishes fear and anxiety when heat and drought comes and are then able to be that life-giving water for others.

So notice where you are planted in the coming weeks. Use this opportunity to go deeper in your trust and surrender to the Lord. Make contact with the living water so that you might—like Jeremiah’s tree—reach out to your friends, neighbors, and family as shelter and shade. Let us sink our roots deep in Him so that we might nourished and then become that nourishment for others.

This comes with all my prayers,

Faithfully yours in Christ,

Tyler+