Updated information about SHCC during COVID-19
August 1, 2021
Dear friends,
We worship together in person and online at 10:30am on Sundays.
In the sanctuary, as of July 4th, the wearing of masks will be optional. We are each responsible for our own health and we want to do all we can to care for each other. So please, if you feel ill, are running a fever or have recently been exposed to a contagious disease, join us in the online worship experience. Seating in the sanctuary will be on alternating rows and we will receive communion individually. Any changes in these practices will be announced in "This Week @SHCC."
We trust that each participant in worship will make appropriate decisions for themselves and the care of others. These are challenging times and we continue to appreciate your patience and flexibility. Please continue to keep the health of our community in your prayers.
Grace and Peace,
Dottie Cook
June 8, 2020
Dear Friends,
“By the waters of Babylon—there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion...How could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” Ps 137: 1, 4.
The ancient Israelites sang this song of lament in exile after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. They felt free to pour out their grief over their loss and even to doubt how they could lift their voices to God at all.
We’re not in exile, or at least it’s not the same kind the Israelites faced. Indeed, we are experiencing our own losses these days. Our world has changed and we are definitely in mourning for all of those very ordinary things we used to take for granted. Now, some of us employ high-level strategic planning just to go to the grocery store! Maybe we take a moment to decide which face mask to wear. A stroll through the mall would perhaps be welcomed. On the other hand, some of us may be weary of showing up to our jobs in this time.
And suddenly, things have gotten worse. We feel it is important to acknowledge the suffering of our fellow children of God who have black and brown skin and our grief over the inability of our country to overcome what some have called “America’s original sin—slavery,” along with ongoing racism and its effects. The current civil unrest reminds us of our slow progress toward recognizing the full humanity of everyone.
And we are deeply mourning the loss of over 110,000 Americans (and 400,000 persons worldwide) to a virus whose characteristics are still only partly known by our medical and scientific community.
Many of us don’t personally know anyone who has lost their life in this pandemic, but we can surely imagine the grief of their families and friends. And we all do know the loss of the most vibrant, face-to-face aspects of our church life. We miss singing. We miss greeting friends. We miss being reined in by Dottie when we take too long to return to our seats. We miss being present in our sanctuary when the Word is read to us before being explored in the sermon. Perhaps most of all, we miss the community celebration of communion. Oh...when will our longings be fulfilled?
The elders convened a Returning-to-the-Building Planning Team (team) of nine people to discuss ways we can restore these aspects of our common life as part of the Body of Christ. This team has been meeting weekly over Zoom. The quick answer to the question is that we can’t say when we will return to the building of SHCC. There are so many factors to consider: the demographics of our congregation, the local rate of infection and new discoveries about COVID-19. No one knows how much cleaning is enough; yet, we do know we will need more and different cleaning when we return.
We want to continue exercising hospitality to neighbors and strangers. This may look different going forward. We have been in touch with all the various groups and organizations who utilize our facilities. All are grateful for the contact and look forward to continuing relationship with us when it is safe.
We want to return to a corporate worship that is spiritually rich and stimulating, allowing room for relationship with the Holy and others gathered. This includes recognizing the importance of our emotional and mental health as well as concern for our physical health and safety.
Recent research has demonstrated that the virus can be spread beyond 6’ by normal speaking. It goes farther when the speaker is projecting into a large space and ever so much farther when someone is singing. Would we want to return to a worship that does not encourage and allow congregational singing? How would we handle communion? Most scientific wisdom advises against both forms of receiving communion used at South Hills. Alternative forms do not seem to speak to our spiritual, mental and emotional hunger.
No one on the team is pushing for any rapid moves. The very last thing we want is for any person in our community to become infected by coming to worship or any other community gatherings within the walls of SHCC. Nor do we want to communicate an expectation for attending community gatherings that may go against your sense of what is safe and healthy for you. The church is to be a setting for promoting wholeness; wholeness of spirit, mind and body. When we do return, there will be a new rhythm, a new normal. We recognize that there may be grief for what we had. We also know this can be good and something to look forward to.
We recognize the importance of heightened communication during this time. Dottie is and will continue providing communication through social media. This Week at South Hills will continue to keep us informed about opportunities to gather through Zoom, prayer concerns and opportunities for learning, service and mission. Note, the youth and college students are gathering bi-weekly via Zoom. Choir is meeting by Zoom to stay in touch and minister to each other. Disciples Women are in the midst of determining ways to continue their groups. Moving forward through this time, the team will also be communicating our suggestions.
The good news is there are several things we do know for certain. One, alas...there are no easy answers. Two, we are continuing to be church, living our vision of a community in relationship with God and each other, seeking wisdom, embodying forgiveness, reconciliation, justice, generosity and hope. We are looking to find ways to interact with one another and those in our community in meaningful and holy ways. Three, even when we do return, the online worship experience has become too valuable to many persons and will remain as part of our new rhythm.
May the peace of Christ be with all of us.
Sharon Beaucond, Convener
Tim Fancher
Nadia Lahutsky
Lucy Maier
Joretta Marshall
Guy Sawyer
Don Tatlock
Staff Support
Dottie Cook, Senior Minister
Rob Laney, Music Director
Updated information about SHCC during COVID-19
March 18, 2020
Our church building and offices are closed until March 30th, maybe longer, depending upon the circumstances. The office phone is being answered remotely during office hours, Monday – Thursday 9-4. Our staff and elders are available by email or phone. The mail is being held and there is a connection on this website for financial donations.
Worship resources will be online through the website and Facebook page. We are also continuing our Wednesday evening book study via freeconferencecall. The study will be at 6:30pm on Wednesdays. Email the church office for the link to Dr. Levine’s videos and the link to the conference call.
God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in times of trouble. We will not fear…you are our refuge.
We call upon you in these difficult times, O Holy One. We ask for your sustaining presence to be with all the medical staff and first responders in our community. Guide the leaders of our government and others as they make decisions for our well-being and care. Comfort all who continue to work so that we might have access to food, water, and other necessities. We have grown closer together, while learning to live apart. May we remember the compassionate lessons of this time. As I listen, again, to the people of Italy singing out their windows, you remind me that your children can create beauty and harmony through all challenges. You hear and answer our prayers in many ways. Amen.
March 12, 2020
Dear SHCC community,
The media and local news are filled with all kinds of responses to our current health crisis. Our congregational leadership and health professionals met to determine our best course of action. We are mindful that the situation is rapidly changing.
As a people of faith, prayer is the foundation of all our actions, so we begin in prayer for all seeking answers to this viral outbreak. We are especially mindful of our neighbor congregation, Trinity Episcopal. This crisis has heightened our awareness of what people of faith have proclaimed throughout time, that all creation is connected. We believe our response is a blending of faith, practical awareness of our community and a desire to care for all people.
SHCC will have worship services at 8:30 and 10:30 on Sunday morning, March 15th. Communion will be served in individual portions and a bowl for offering will be placed on the communion table. The elements will be prepared with the needed precautions. The building will be closed starting March 16th until March 30th. All group meetings at the church building are canceled, this includes outside groups as well as mat makers, soup supper, DWM meetings, choir rehearsal, yoga, and Sunday worship. The March elders meeting and Faithful Vice are canceled as well. We will keep you informed about ongoing changes.
Being separated does not change our connection as a community of faith. The elders and staff will be working on ways to make connections during this difficult time. Many congregations are livestreaming worship. We do not currently have the capability do this in a quality manner. However, we are working to provide brief worship experiences online (website and Facebook) and will have those available soon.
These are challenging times and rapidly changing circumstances. We seek, as good Disciples, to balance all aspects of the situation and make decisions that are faithful, compassionate, and informed. Our strength comes from God with whom all things are possible.
Grace and Peace,
Rev. Dottie Cook