Pastor’s Corner: Looking Ahead to Public Worship

Pastor’s Note: This should have been posted a week ago; I apologize for the omission and delay.

May 27, 2020

We are making plans for resuming in-person worship services.

You are probably aware that Mayor Harry Kim has issued an emergency proclamation authorizing faith communities to meet for worship beginning on June 1. The Deacons and I agree that this is earlier than we think wise. Even with the low number of people who have contracted COVID-19 in Hawai’i County, we recognize that worship brings people together in one room for a significant period of time – that’s what makes it a risky activity.

At this moment, we hope to hold in-person worship beginning in July. We may need to revise this, so please be patient. It will depend on the availability of things like hand sanitizer that are difficult to come by. A renewed outbreak of disease in the community would certainly prompt us to delay.

Worship will look different. We will ask those attending to wear masks, and we will arrange pews so that households will be separated by six feet. Our sanctuary will not have its full capacity because of the distance between pews. Because of this and to serve those who will remain home, we will continue to stream our services over the Internet.

Next week’s Messenger and our holycrosshilo.com website will have more details.

We are approaching a new season, we hope, a less risky and more companionable season. We plan that it will be a season that holds you in love and care just as surely as this prior season of strict distancing. We are the Church of Jesus Christ whatever means we use to worship and support one another. We are God’s people whether we embrace or whether we bow. We are the people of the Holy Spirit whether we see one another’s smile or whether we see the eyes crinkle above the mask.

Let us love one another in wisdom and in truth.

With aloha,

Pastor Eric