Update From Our Safety Committee & Wardens
When I think of returning to in-person worship, I think of a swimming pool on the first warm-ish day of summer. You know the one — that day when you are so sick and tired of the cold, that you are determined to have a pool day. You don’t care if in reality, there’s still a brisk backhand to the breeze, and the water is just a little too chilly.
That’s where we are now too. We are all so sick of this latest pandemic winter that the thought of returning in person is as appealing as a swimming pool on that first summer’s day. It would feel so good to dive right in. Unfortunately, it’s still February. Both metaphorically, and on the calendar. Diving remains out of the question.
But there is good news — it’s warm enough to re-open the pool. Caseloads have dropped down to levels similar to where they were before the Omicron surge. As we’ve been watching the numbers drop, the vestry suggested that that we return to in-person worship starting in March, which gives our clergy and lay-leaders time to prepare for a change in services, and time for us to communicate the change to the congregation. As we return we ask that congregants:
sign up for services
show proof of vaccination
wear masks inside if you are not actively performing part of the service (singing, preaching, etc.)
This is a cautious approach, and the safety committee (your lifeguards in this metaphor) knows that this is a reserved way of looking at things.
Some people in our congregation could absolutely cannonball in. They’re vaxxed, boosted, and generally healthy. Gathering in-person without a mask or vaccine requirement would not be a burden on them. Heck, it would be so fun to just jump in and get it over with instead of easing back in to the shallow end. For some, it might be frustrating to show proof of vaccination at the door, or wear a mask inside, or sign-up for a service.
I know. It might feel hard or excessive. And those are valid feelings. The reason we’re asking for those things is that there are members of our congregation who can’t just cannonball in, as much as they’d like to. They might be getting treatments that wreck their immune system, or be very young, or very old, or are otherwise immunocompromised. Or they’re people who have folks that fall into one of those categories at home. They can ease back into the shallow end, but jumping in might be hard or impossible, and if others are roughhousing in the deep end they might feel they have to stay out of the pool altogether to avoid getting drenched.
So for this first reopening phase, we’re being cautious in the hopes that we make this a pool that many people, if not yet all, can come to. In a month, we’ll reevaluate, and see what guidelines make sense at that time. This is just a starting point.
COVID protocols are changing rapidly throughout the country and the world. What we’re seeing for now in New York City is that many vaccine mandates are staying in place, while mask mandates are lifting in some places. Masks are still required indoors on public transit, at childcare and healthcare facilities, and at many cultural institutions around the city, from Broadway to the Bronx Zoo. (As of this writing, the CDC has not yet released their new mask guidance, but they are expected to soon. We’ll take their new guidance into account at the next meeting.) The few cases of transmission that have been documented at the church happened between people who were vaccinated, but were not wearing masks, which is why we’re starting with a higher level of precaution.
As for churches, the diocese is letting congregations figure it out on their own. Some churches are staying entirely online, which we didn’t feel was right for St. Mark’s, especially with cases and hospitalizations dropping. A few churches have started meeting in person, and some of those are also requiring vaccinations, masks, and social distancing. We will be alert to any new guidance from the diocese, city, and state as rules change, and will take that into account.
It’s so fitting that this moment arrives at the same time as Lent, which is a time of reflection and austerity. It is a time for moving slowly, and for being deliberate in our actions. We at the safety committee invite you to sit with us at this moment of transition as we slowly dip back into in-person worship.
As we look toward the future, the safety committee is looking forwards to obsolescence. We want nothing more than to get us to the point where we simply aren’t needed anymore.
We want to get us to the point where we aren’t asking for a limited number of people to sign-up for church. We want to get to the point where we aren’t thinking about masks, or vaccination cards, or social distancing once we get there. We want to take way too long passing the peace. We want us all to stand shoulder to shoulder and pass the cup in communion, and then break bread together in coffee hour.
That’s what we’re looking forward to in the future. Hopefully, the very near future. We hope you’ll join us on the way there.