Dear Cathedral Family,
Earlier this week, Bishop Russell Kendrick sent a letter to diocesan clergy and lay leaders in which he wrote, “Effective June 17, 2021, all diocesan protocols implemented as a result of the pandemic affecting worship and ministry are ended.” He went on to return this responsibility to clergy and vestries, as we work to “return worship to its fullest expression, including the distribution of the chalice at communion.”
This is indeed “good news”! I will be working with lay leaders and ministry leaders this summer to plan our “new normal” as we move into the fall beginning of the program year.
For now, beginning this Sunday, the chalice will be available for those who choose to receive it. No one “should” or “must,” but all “may.” Please know that intinction is neither more sanitary nor safer than touching the chalice with one’s lips: fingers carry germs into the chalice just as much (or more) than lips. Remember: communion in one kind (i.e., bread only) is always fully efficacious.
In this matter—as with the continued wearing of masks by those persons who choose to do so—generosity, hospitality, and respect for differing choices are the marks of Christian community.
Our readings for this Sunday deal with love and loyalty, unity with one another, and trust in God’s saving grace as the antidote to fear. These are all practices that we have relied upon heavily during the last year and a half, and our need for them will not diminish as we move forward together in our shared ministry as followers of Jesus.
Faithfully,
Beverly+
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