Dear Ones,
The Omicron wave has crashed upon the shore and is receding again.
So, let’s celebrate by coming together for an All Generations, In Person, Outdoors Animal Blessing service fittingly called Puppy Love on the Sunday before Valentine’s Day!
We’ll come together as a community – complete with our dear Animal Companions, the dear pets who helped us survive the isolation and repeated shut downs of the continuing Covid Time.
Bring your (mostly) well-behaved pets who can be on leash or in crates to join us for worship, which will include stories and music and conclude with a Pet Parade.
We will also have an altar for photos of pets who have died or who it’s best to leave home.
It will be so good to be together again.
Given that the Omicron wave has passed, the Reopening Team and the Board are consulting about reopening for hybrid services soon. Our current plan will be to again ask people to RSVP for church, likely beginning with a sanctuary capacity of 75.
I have learned ever more viscerally over the last two years to hold the words ‘current plan’ very lightly. It is my fond hope that we won’t have to shut down again, and eventually we will be able to open our doors again without restriction, while keeping a window open, too, for those who can join us on Zoom.
Throughout the pandemic, the UUA has offered guidance to our congregations, researching and recommending practices to reduce the risk of Covid transmission at each stage of this pandemic.
Because the virus is going to be with us for a long time, the UUA advises each congregation to “decide for itself how it will gather given the risks and needs in its community … as the virus surges and dissipates. The UUA supports congregations that make the decision to suspend all in-person gatherings, and we also support congregations that decide to combine in-person and online engagement…. [basing decisions on] your community, your building, and your people” and how in-person gatherings can be adequately safe.
Onward together,
Rev. Dana
