Guidelines for limited choral singing during Advent and Christmas

At a recent meeting of the Medical/Legal subgroup of Bishop Haynes’s Advisory Panel for Re-Gathering for Worship, musicians presented some information on a breakthrough that will enable some limited choral singing as we move into the Advent and Christmas singing.

The breakthrough is the design and availability of “Singer’s Masks,” a mask especially made for singers that will allow them ample room to sing comfortably while protecting those around them from potential infection due to droplets and aerosols. The masks are available from a number of sources, including the ones listed here:

• www.broadwayreliefproject.com/singersmask
• www.mymusicfolders.com/product/resonance-singers-mask-with-disposable-biofilters/

Here are some YouTube links showing various singers using them:

• www.youtu.be/mcW1WJ2-mqs
• www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_xbGfY8jes
• www.youtu.be/N1NL0ycQf-Q?t=772
• www.vimeo.com/466160774#t=360s
• www.christchurchgreenwich.org/evensong-livestream/

After listening to the musicians, the panel made the following recommendations with respect to guidelines for choral singing:

• Singers may sing in virtual or in-person services provided they are spaced (shoulder to shoulder) at least six feet away from each other and are all facing/singing in the same direction.
• Singers must be 20-30 feet away from any other person in the congregation
• Singers must wear a mask specially made for singers such as one obtained from one of the websites above.
• The number of singers who can safely sing is dependent on the space and configuration of each church building, provided guidelines number 1-3 are followed.
• Congregational singing is still not permitted at this time.

While these guidelines do not allow for everyone to sing, they do enable us to move in the direction of bringing choral music back into the church.

Please contact the diocesan office if you have any questions.

As COVID-19 cases rise

As we move into fall and winter months, we are unfortunately seeing a rise in the number of Covid-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths. This is of course not the direction we wanted to go. Many are beginning to feel anxious again and to ask questions regarding whether or not congregations should be gathering for worship. At this point, the diocesan office would like to offer a few general guidelines to clergy and other church leadership as you make decisions regarding worship in your own particular context. We encourage you to watch the numbers in your area, to consider the make-up of your own congregation or any other factors that are specific to your worshiping community. For example, if overall the number of infections are not rising in your community but you know that there are significant outbreaks in schools and that your faith community has a number of young families in membership, this may impact whether or not you open for worship. Likewise, if your community contains many older people whose health is fragile, you may make a different decision about opening for worship.

Here are a couple of websites that we offer to help inform you. Both of these websites offer information for the whole state of Virginia and also according to each county. If, after considering the information for your local area, you are still undecided, please feel free to call the Diocesan Office and we will help you process the information in order to arrive at a decision.

• The first helpful website is the Virginia Department of Health’s COVID Dashboard which allows you to check the status in particular cities.
• The second website is The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

Clergy and lay leaders are to be commended for their excellent work in providing virtual worship when in-person worship is not available, and we encourage you to continue those offerings. We also remind you that the bishop has issued guidelines for how to administer Holy Communion more widely during a time of pandemic, and those guidelines and can be found here.

Nominations for Elections at Council

Please note that self nominations are welcome. Nominations must be received no later than December 29, 2020. Positions to be elected at Council are: Standing Committee (1 laity, 1 clergy); Disciplinary Board (2 laity, 1 clergy); General Convention 2021 (4 clergy alternates and 4 lay alternates. Note: deputies were elected at Council 2020). Click here for information about these positions. Click here for the nomination form.

Bishop Haynes to officiate at dedication of historic marker honoring James Solomon Russell

Bishop Haynes will join members of St. Mark's, Bracey, and local community leaders for the official dedication ceremony for the Virginia Civil Rights in Education Heritage trail marker honoring the Rev. James Solomon Russell. The dedication will be held on November 4, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mark's in Bracey. The trail marker is one of 53 across Southern Virginia that recount how African Americans, Native Americans and women fought for the right to equal education in Virginia. Click here for more information on the Virginia Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail. For more information about the dedication service contact Mr. Willie Bennett, wlbenn44@aol.com.

Deacon Jan Brown visits Sesame Street for webinar on Parental Addiction: Supporting Families in Recovery

Deacon Jan Brown, co-chair of the Diocesan Addictions & Recovery Commission, will be visiting Sesame Street this week. Brown will be leading a webinar examining how parental addiction affects young children and offer ways faith-based communities and organizations can accompany children and families on their recovery journey. The webinar can be viewed live on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. Register here to participate live or to view later on-demand.

God is in charge (As we approach Election Day)

From Psalm 131

 

O LORD, I am not proud;*

   I have no haughty looks.

I do not occupy myself with great matters*

  or with things that are too hard for me.

But I still my soul and make it quiet,

  like a child upon its mother’s breast;*

   my soul is quieted within me.

O Israel, wait upon the LORD,*

  from this time forth for evermore.

 

As we approach Election Day, our anxiety increases. Fears about the well-being of our nation surround us, and we struggle not to feel like we are catapulting toward disaster. The ongoing presence of the pandemic compounds our feelings of doom and dread. Who is there to ground us and care for us? As the Israelites asked Moses many times during their journeys through the wilderness, “Is the Lord with us or not?”      

I invite you during this time of increasing tension to join me for a period of intentional prayer for Election Day. Beginning October 27, we will join with others across the nation in a novena (an ancient practice of 9 days of devotional prayers with specific intentions) for our national elections. During this time we will pray for wisdom and discernment in voting and for the well-being of our country.

Forward Movement has devised a series of prayers which will assist us and you can sign up to receive these prayers and resources daily here.

Come to God, say your prayers, light a candle each day beginning October 27, and remind yourself that God is in charge. He welcomes us to rest upon him in quiet solitude…even when…and especially when we are afraid.

-- Bishop Haynes

Advent Virtual Roundtable, resources for formation

As we continue to navigate Christian formation during COVID, Advent & Christmas will require some creativity. Our colleague group will meet for a virtual roundtable to share resources, wisdom, and ideas for this fast approaching season. Whether your plans are undecided or plans are confirmed, join CE-Net (the Diocesan Christian Education Network) on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss what we can do to support our communities during Advent & Christmas. Click here to register and obtain the Zoom log in information.

Resources for virtual formation, Advent and Christmas

The Diocesan website has resources here for the upcoming Advent and Christmas seasons, including ideas for virtual pageants. More will be added in coming weeks, so check back often.