Responding to a Public Health Crisis

From Springfield-

Beloved in Christ,

As you are aware, the COVID-19 virus (“coronavirus”) has emerged only in the last couple of weeks as a serious threat to public health. It is a situation that cannot help but affect church communities, as evidenced by the cancellation of next week’s planned meeting of the House of Bishops as an in-person event.

I am not a public health expert, so I hold any technical opinions quite tentatively. But it does fall to me to exercise leadership as concerns the principal thing we come together to do–that is, celebrate the Eucharist on the Lord’s Day. I here offer counsel on three specific aspects of our worship life on Sundays.

First, come to church! Unless you are ill to a degree that you would stay home anyway, the current status of the outbreak does not merit measures so extreme as to disrupt this central element in our common life. If anything, it is even more important than ever for us to let our communities function in a way as close to normal as possible.

Second, avoid shaking hands at the Peace. From all I can tell, hands and fingers are the primary culprits in the spread of any communicable disease. Some have suggested avoiding any physical contact at the Peace, but I believe this is not necessary. The classic historic gesture for this liturgical act is actually neither a handshake nor a hug, but the mutual placing of hands on one another’s shoulders or arms. The photo below illustrates what I’m talking about. Of course, we should all heed the advice about frequent and thorough hand-washing. I would urge anyone who handles communion bread, either before or after consecration, to conspicuously wash his or her hands just prior to doing so.  It is worth bearing in mind, however, that anti-bacterial hand sanitizers, while a popular symbol of conscientiousness in this regard, offer no protection against viruses.

More here-

 https://www.episcopalspringfield.org/responding-to-a-public-health-crisis/?fbclid=IwAR231lWFHDn0NEt_R3huL4kB8-dVeEIQl8pBVQ1GuLdLvI9WpqyxLj2InU4