Pastoral LetterS to the Congregation

A Letter from Nathan regarding Reopening:

Dear Christ the King,

I’m writing to you with an update on our process of gathering together again. Over the past three weeks, we have implemented all of the safety guidelines required by the state, and have been testing them with small groups of staff and officers in attendance.  That testing has gone very well, and I’m very grateful to the staff and deacons who have put all of this in place.  Full details about those safety measures can be found here.

I’m happy to say that beginning this Sunday, June 14, any who wish to attend worship in person are welcome to do so. With the new protocols in place, the service will of course be different than it was in March, and we are asking that everyone register before attending, but for those who are comfortable with gathering, we invite you to join us.  The livestream will continue through the summer and beyond for those who are not yet able or ready to attend in person.

In addition to state and local guidance and input from staff and officers, these decisions were informed by the results of a survey we sent to you at the end of last month.  We asked you to share your own thoughts and feelings about gathering together for worship, and we’re very grateful for the time and care you put into your responses.  

Out of 91 responses, 25% indicated a readiness to attend worship in the month of June.  Nearly all of the rest said either that they would be ready later in the summer, or that it’s just too soon to say.  One thing we hear in those responses is how fluid this situation is. We know that the responses you gave represent a snapshot of where you were at that point in time, and that your feelings about gathering may change, in one direction or the other.  But given the general tenor of your responses, our expectation is that our numbers will be relatively small in the beginning, and will only grow gradually over the summer.

As we’ve said before, we’re going to keep working as a church to love one another and our neighbors, to resist judging each other, and to accommodate everyone who cannot or isn’t ready to gather in person.  

A summary of the survey responses can be found here.  Note that we are only sharing summary statistics, not individual responses.  Also, we’re not sharing responses about personal risk or comfort levels, in an effort to balance transparency and privacy.  If you have any questions about the results, please reach out to us.

I was reminded in conversation last week that God has truly been good to us in this time that we have been – and will continue to be – apart from each other.  It’s good to know that the Spirit can still work through his Word, even as we gather virtually, and that we can still encourage one another, even through a YouTube chat window or our virtual coffee hour and community group meetings.  I was reminded in another conversation how deeply we do yearn to be in the same room again, to look one another in the eye and hear our voices without the mediation of a screen. God has created us physical as well as spiritual beings, and we are made to worship him with our whole selves, including our bodies.  But God’s purposes are not thwarted by the distance between us or the dangers of a virus.  Together or apart, we are resting in His abundant grace and abiding in His unchanging love.  

I’m very thankful for all of you.  Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions if you have any.

Nathan, for the CTK staff and elders

A Letter from Rick regarding the Lord’s Supper:

This Sunday (7/5) we will begin observing the Lord’s Supper in our worship service. It will be quite different from our usual practice in line with concerns about virus transmission. We will use prepackaged cups and wafer and will have a gluten free option. There will be no coming forward to receive nor will there be distribution by servers. We’ll simply ask that attenders pick up the prepackaged elements when entering the building.

Questions have been asked concerning virtual communion shortly after we started live-streaming worship services. We know that some are practicing such. Some congregations, mostly Roman Catholic, have done drive through distribution of elements. We have done neither. We think that this is consistent with our theology of the sacrament - neither transubstantiated elements nor mere remembrance. Weekly communion is not practiced everywhere in the reformed/presbyterian world. It wasn’t even alway so at CTK. We have always seen a vital connection between the preaching of the Word and the sacrament. Now, for the first time in anyone’s memory, we have to consider whether physical presence in the church is likewise necessary. For now, consistent with advice from our denomination, we have not had any observation of the sacrament. Now that we are beginning to do so with those in attendance, we ask and encourage those participating via the livestream that you not seek to replicate the sacrament in your home (or wherever you’re watching).

The Supper is always pulling us two ways. It’s both a celebration and a remembrance. It looks forward to the marriage feast of the Lamb, but it also looks back to the deep grief of evening before Jesus was crucified, the night he was betrayed. We receive the elements with joy as through we were newly converted, but more and more with an appreciation of the both the cost and the tenacity of God’s grace and mercy. The elements draw their efficacy from the Word, which is on offer in the livestream, and through the faith that receives them, a faith that is also to be exercised through the livestream. So as to avoid the superstition that lurks in every fallen human heart, we should only receive the sacrament in the congregation and from those ordained to offer it.

Let’s not stop yearning to be together again. Let’s hold fast to the Word, the promises and the gifts. And let’s keep crying, “How long O Lord?” about even weightier matters as we endure this season.

To the saints at CTK,

Given the developments of the past day since we wrote to you last, we have made the decision to cancel our public worship service this Sunday, and offer it as a livestream only.

As I (Rick) wrote to you previously, love for one another and for neighbor remains in place as our ethical norm.  And, as I said, that takes a particular form in this situation.  As we have tracked the communications from our national, state, and city public health officials, it has become clear that choosing to suspend public gatherings at this time can have a critical impact on the long-run prevention and containment of the disease.  Our concern is for your health and safety, but also for that of all those with whom you will come into contact.  Suspending worship is a way to tangibly support our city’s efforts to mitigate the effects of the disease and avoid straining our public health resources.  It is an expression of our commitment to love the city where God has placed us.
 
We want also to reiterate that we will not fear.  We worship the Lord of heaven and earth, who hears the cry of the afflicted and who is a fount of blessing in the midst of dire circumstances.  Let us remind you again to be in prayer for grace to love God and our neighbor in extraordinary ways and with the wisdom that is from above.
 
We have not made this decision lightly, nor do we want to spread undue fear or alarm by it. But we are committed to caring for you and our neighbors, exercising wisdom and sound judgment in accordance with the counsel of health professionals (we have sought their advice) and the actions of other organizations across the city (numerous churches are also closing temporarily).
 
So, what’s next? Here’s what you need to know: 

• Sunday Worship. As mentioned above, we have canceled our Sunday worship service this Sunday, March 15, in addition to the other Sunday activities (Adult Education, Sunday School, Children’s Worship) that we had already suspended.  We will offer a livestream of our worship service this Sunday, and for subsequent Sundays if necessary, which you can engage individually, as a family, or in small gatherings with friends in your homes.  This is a first for us, so please be patient with technical glitches.

• Offering. In the absence of gathered worship on Sunday, you may still give your tithes and offerings online or mail your checks to the church office (P.O. Box 390699, Cambridge, MA 02139). 
   

• Bearing each other’s burdens. If you or a family member become ill, please let us know. We want to care for you. Further, as mentioned above, we want to support our neighbors during this unprecedented season of anxiety and need. Therefore, we encourage you to be watchful for your neighbors’ needs and serve them generously during this time.  There is a specific and time-sensitive need to assist displaced students from local colleges and universities (moving, storage, housing); most people need help this weekend (March 13-15th). And contact the Diaconate if you know of a neighbor needing special assistance or financial support.
   

• Next Steps. At this time, the session has only made a decision concerning this week’s worship service. We will be watching developments and seeking the counsel of health experts and ministry partners in order to determine when it is safe to resume our service and other activities.  We will in all things remain committed to doing what is in the best interest of you and our neighbors. Please pray for those upcoming decisions.    

With hope in Christ,

Rick and Nathan, for the CTK Session