Worship Video for the week of October 25, with a very special guest preacher, the Most Rev. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church: https://youtu.be/bEOwYqU7N7Y
Thank you for being a witness to the unconditional, overflowing, gracious, and expansive love of God that we have known in Jesus of Nazareth, and in his way of life. God love you. God bless you!
— Presiding Bishop Michael Curry
Children’s Worship: Today at 9:00 a.m., children and their families are invited to join in joyful music and a Good News message from the Rev. Mark Stanley. The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82463046914
Forum: Today, Sunday October 25 at 10:00 a.m. Documentary Film: The Pause. Scott Burkholder, a member of our parish, will show his new 17-minute documentary film, The Pause: A Brief Contemplation of Scott’s Infertility, followed by discussion. The film chronicles one man’s journey through his circumstances of infertility and offers rich perspective of inner turmoil and external conflict that happens when life takes an unexpected turn and biological children are no longer an option. It is the story of privilege, told by a man who may never get the thing that comes naturally to most people. It is the story of infertility, but told by an individual questioning his legacy. But most of all, it is the story of the future, told in the Pause of the moment. The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84824154177
In-person Worship with Holy Eucharist:
Beginning on November 1, Old St. Paul’s Church will be gathering on Sundays for in-person worship in the church at 11:00 a.m. We will continue providing Worship Videos online, knowing that for many people in our church, it is not advisable for them to gather for in-person worship.
Pre-registration will be required for a maximum of 40 participants each Sunday. Attendees who are two years old and older will be required to wear masks throughout the service (except for a few moments when masks may be lowered to consume the bread), practice social distancing, arrive no later than 10:45 a.m. to check in, use hand sanitizer upon entering the church, and agree to read and abide by the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland Regathering Covenant.
As people arrive, please line up six feet apart outside so that you may check in at an arrival table on the front portico. Please arrive on time because at 11:10 we will be closing the doors. Any person who has not pre-registered by Friday at 5 p.m. will not be allowed to enter the church, including tourists and drop-ins.
Two or three pews will be closed off between open pews that will be available for people to sit in. Only one household will be allowed to sit in a pew together. Our three Soft Spaces will be reserved for the use of families with young children. If more than three such families pre-register for a given Sunday, then we will need to implement a fair way for these spaces to be used. The Soft Space toys will be removed and families may bring their own toys. Physical touching will not be allowed outside of household groups, so there will be no hugging, hand shaking, or fist bumps. No food or drinks will be allowed in the church, other than communion bread and water.
There will not be any singing by the congregation, although participants may hum along with hymns and say the responses as long as they are masked. We plan to have instrumentalists, and eventually we will have a masked soloist standing twenty feet from participants. Fresh paper leaflets will be provided, and participants will be asked to take these with them and throw them away as they depart.
We will be sharing communion by offering wafers that will be placed in cups on a central table at the front of the church. At the end of the service, those wishing to receive the bread will be invited to gradually come forward to the table to pick up their bread, move to one of the priests on the right or left so they can say the words of administration, briefly lower their masks, consume the bread, and then exit the building.
Restrooms will be available for one person at a time (except when there are children), and people will line up six feet apart outside the bathroom. Cleaning supplies will be provided in bathrooms and each person will be required to use those supplies to sanitize before leaving.
These worship services will be 30-45 minutes long. Our Regathering Team agrees that the time is right for us to begin offering in-person worship, as long as we follow suggested guidelines. We will be watching the numbers in Baltimore City and will plan ahead based on the science and recommendations from our Regathering Team and our bishop.
Prior to pre-registering to attend, all participants are required to read and agree to the following diocesan Regathering Covenant https://images.yourfaithstory.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/05/20184353/Covenant-for-Regathering-5_20.pdf
To pre-register for Sunday in-person worship services (required to attend), click on the following link: https://www.pastorstoolbox.com/save-a-seat/4b20f597-b2d4-5e1e-ad73-b143d20db57d
Here is the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland Covid Response Page that has a lot of helpful information – https://episcopalmaryland.org/covid-19-response/
If you have questions, please email The Rev. Mary Luck Stanley (maryluckstanley@gmail.com) or The Rev. Mark Stanley (mark@osp1692.org).
Other News:
Our thanks to everyone who helped in the Day of Service yesterday at the Fort Worthington neighborhood of Baltimore.
