From Ashleigh Rhodes, Co-Director of Religious Life:

We are relational beings, and we need each other. Even as we are supposed to be engaging in “social distancing,” so many of us are driven to reach out to each other in times of crisis.

“Worship” is, ultimately, about connection. Connection with each other, connection to something within ourselves, connection to something higher than ourselves, however we perceive that something.

So how do we worship together when we cannot be together?

We are blessed that in this time when there are urgent and ethical reasons to avoid face to face contact, that we have many digital options to maintain connection and communication. People are shifting to working and learning from home, and in some cases are able to continue some of what they did before.

However, it is important to remember what a large transition this is. It’s easy to think that all we have to do is just figure out how to live stream all of our old activities.

However, as an educator who has been involved in online learning both as a student and a teacher, I know that usually isn’t the best option. Even if we can figure out how to get everyone on the internet and using tools they may have no experience with, communicating online has both benefits and drawbacks that we don’t experience face to face.

This weekend, for worship on Sunday, we are going to offer a recorded service, and then an opportunity to connect in real time through a digital “coffee hour.” We believe this will offer the best combination of accessibility and connection for this weekend.

Through this week and beyond we will continue to make available to you opportunities to connect. Please be gentle with yourselves, each other, and everyone facing this difficult situation.