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Lenten Greetings to All!  

As we move along through the season of Lent toward Holy Week and Easter, we are reminded of the journey of life and faith this time represents. Traditionally, Lent is a somber and subdued time of reflection on our need for God’s grade and forgiveness. This year with the pandemic having already kept us quite somber and subdued, I think it is better to reflect on God’s grace a bit more light-heartedly. While “Alleluias” are traditionally omitted from worship during Lent, for this year I have chosen to continue using them in liturgy and hymns. This is not out ignorance or disrespect for Lent, but because any “Alleluias” we can get right now are badly needed.  

Lent is also traditionally a time of spiritual fasting. We as a society have in many ways ‘fasted’ over the last year from what was our ‘normal’ lifestyle. While this has been extremely difficult, the process of learning to deal cope with it has strengthened us in many ways. How many of us have needed to pray more often for patience and understanding? I know I have.  

It appears that more and more of you are receiving your vaccinations, while for many in our community this opportunity has not yet arrived. A few may not be able to receive a vaccine due to other health concerns. Please get your vaccination if you can and when you can. It is in the best interest of the community that as many as possible are vaccinated and until then we wear masks and be vigilant about distancing. Regarding masks in the building, Salem members have been so cooperative in this regard, and for this I am thankful! Believe me - I am tired of masks! However, masks will continue to be required at Salem until it is determined at the state and local level that they are no longer necessary.  

Over the last few weeks we have seen a gradual increase in our Sunday in-person worship attendance. The numbers have been such that folks can comfortably be in the sanctuary and well-spaced out. With relatively few people in the sanctuary, and everyone spaced apart and masked, I have also been more comfortable with singing. As attendance gradually grows, we may need to back off on the amount of singing in order to comply with guidelines.  

If you are comfortable attending in person, I recommend giving it a try so that you can at least allow yourself time to adjust. It will take time to get used to being in the building with other people again. You might not be able to sit exactly where you did in the past because it might be a little too close to another person for now. With everyone wearing masks, it might feel a little disorienting. Because we have used Zoom as a primary method of reaching worshippers for the last year, there is now a camera, a TV, and an operator station where there wasn’t before. For communion we each have our own disposable juice and wafer packet, and we commune together in the pews. There is no passing of the offering plate. We are not using bulletins and hymnals like before, and everything you need to follow along is on a screen. There is no coffee fellowship right now, but we will figure out a way to do that again in the future.  

While the experience of worshiping at Salem is still familiar, there won’t be a time when everything will go back to exactly how it was before the pandemic. The return of people to in-person worship will, and should, be gradual. There will be a percentage for whom attending online or by phone will be preferable beyond the pandemic, and that needs to be recognized as a strength we have gained through this process, rather than a loss. When the day comes that the pandemic is truly over, the new reality will be disappointing and difficult for some folks, and we will work through it together   With all of this in mind, the worship services between now and Easter are being planned in a way that accommodates a potential growth in our in-person worship attendance.  

Wednesdays in Lent, 6:30PM – These 30 minute services will continue to be held in hybrid format (online and in-person), led primarily by worship leaders other than myself to add some variety. In person attendance at the Wednesday services at this time has been less than ten so far.  

Sundays March 7, 14, and 21, 10AM – These services are lasting the typical length of 45 to 60 minutes. Sunday worship will continue to be in hybrid format indefinitely. In person attendance in recent weeks has been less been maybe twelve or less. If in-person attendance appears to increase over the course of March, that will be a good indicator for Palm Sunday and perhaps Easter as well.  

Palm Sunday, March 28, 10AM – In anticipation of attendance numbers being higher for this service, hymns will be reduced to one verse in order to allow some singing. The second half of this service includes the reading of the Passion Gospel, so adjustments are being made to keep this service in the 45 to 60 minute time length.  

Maundy Thursday, April 1, 6:30PM – First Communion, in-person for families and guests, all others by Zoom, please. This hybrid worship service will be primarily a First Communion Milestone for the third graders. As there are potentially eight third graders (plus a fourth grader who was unable to participate last spring due to the pandemic), these families and their guests with social distancing will likely fill the sanctuary and social hall to what seems like full at this time. To reserve as much space as possible for this group, I kindly ask that Salem members who are not among the First Communion families or guests to participate in this service over Zoom online or call in. The regular worship service link/code will be used. Anyone who happens to forget or is unaware of this request will by no means be turned away.  

Good Friday, April 2, 6:30PM – This service will be in hybrid format, using the regular worship service link/code. We will hold the traditional Good Friday service with readings, candles, prayers, and a few hymns of one verse each. Readers will have the option of being in-person or over Zoom. Time length for this service will be 30-45 minutes to limit the amount of time people are gathered in the building.  

EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 10AM – Pre-Registration for in-person attendance required. We want to accommodate all who would like to attend this hybrid service in-person on Easter Sunday. A process for pre-registration is explained in this eNewsletter and on slcmonte.org. This will allow us to have some idea of numbers – we want to allow as many people to be in the building while still maintaining safe distancing by family group. The worship service will be 30-35 minutes in length to minimize the amount of time the anticipated number of folks will be gathered. IF THE RESPONSE TO THE PRE-REGISTRATION indicates that a second service is required, we will open up registrations for an identical 11AM service with a team of volunteers cleaning the sanctuary, social hall, entry, and restrooms before allowing the 11AM group inside to be seated. I apologize for the seemingly late Easter Sunday worship times, but this is how we need to do it this year.   BEYOND EASTER???  We’ll see how it goes.  

Let me be clear about one thing – my feelings will not be hurt if you are someone who prefers to continue attending worship over Zoom for now. I have put many, many hours in over the last year developing our hybrid service capabilities so that the experience is as close as possible to in-person worship. At the same time, I want to encourage and welcome anyone to go ahead and give in-person attendance a try at some point in the coming weeks.  

Whether you are online or in person – we are worshiping together, and that’s the main thing.  

Please get your vaccination if you can. Please keep wearing a mask where you know you are supposed to. Please support the scientifically and medically informed public efforts to get this pandemic over with. Don't pretend to know more than the CDC - those who do have only dragged this out longer. We’re ALL tired of COVID19.  

God’s blessings to you!   MP