Jun 24, 2021

PCLT Family and Friends,

 

It has been several weeks since I mentioned the global COVID pandemic in the newsletter or in my sermons. However, that doesn’t mean that the pandemic is over. This virus is still infecting hundreds of thousands of people across the globe. Countries in South America are being particularly brutalized right now. And in India, the virus doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all. Even though the US has finally gotten ahead of the virus spread, the rate of vaccination is slowing. I just learned this week that a neighbor of mine tested positive for COVID even as she was scheduling her vaccine appointment (no, I haven’t been around her or exposed to anyone she was exposed to – I learned this from her Facebook post!). There is still risk of infection, and that risk will be with us for a long time to come.

 

I know we are all anxious to say, “Let’s just get back to normal!” But I believe this is our new normal – diligence in community behavior and careful monitoring of spikes in infection rates. The Session is cautiously optimistic that we will be able to return to in-person fellowship and committee meetings and Sunday School by September. For the moment, we are taking each step one at a time, giving everyone time to be comfortable and to make sure we are using best practices to keep everyone safe.

 

Please pray for those who continue to experience the ravages of this pandemic – in our own community and in communities across the world. Pray that our world leaders will have the desire and the means to ensure that every nation has adequate access to vaccinations.

 

Peace,

 

Pastor Jack