In this lecture, Fr. Adam looks at the Holy Communion service in the Book of Common Prayer (1662 edition of the Church of England) to explore how the liturgy is specifically designed to take worshippers through the subjective experience of encountering the gospel. The liturgy encompasses the whole sweep of salvation from the first awareness of sin to the reception of God's utterly free grace to repair it offered in the Lord's Supper.

Audio of lecture below:

Audio of subsequent Q&A below:

August 17, 2020
 
Dear Holy Trinity family,
 
It has certainly been a peculiar season of ministry for us at Holy Trinity. This pandemic has made so many simple things we take for granted—things as basic as just gathering together—immensely complex. But God has been faithful to our parish, and I thank him for all of you.
 
As we move into the fall, we need to be mindful of the sudden increase of people at the church brought about by the return of the students at the college. As most of you are aware, Hillsdale College has, like most colleges in the state, opted to try for as normal an in-person semester as can be managed under these strange circumstances. So we as a parish need to be ready.
 
After extensive consultation between the parish staff, our vestry, Bishop Julian, and many of our key volunteers, we have decided to take the following precautions for the fall semester. Please take a few minutes to read closely these important updates.
 

• SUNDAY SERVICES: We will continue with two Sunday morning services—at 8:30 am and 10:30 am—per our normal semester custom. The 10:30 service will continue to be livestreamed. We will continue to administer Holy Communion according to our current precautions; for returning students, please read the instructions within the service orders carefully.
  • Those who prefer to join our worship from home over the livestream may request a home visit and Holy Communion from one of the clergy by reaching out to me.
• SOCIAL DISTANCING: social distancing at the 10:30 service will be next to impossible while the college is in session. Every other pew will continue to be blocked off at 8:30 but not at 10:30, though household units are encouraged to distance from each other as best as they can. For that reason, I am urging:
  • more folks (including students) to commit to attend the 8:30 service until this pandemic is behind us,
  • folks who would rather maintain some social distancing, or who are members of a vulnerable demographic, to attend the 8:30 service,
  • and as always, folks who are experiencing Covid-like symptoms or who believe they may have been exposed to Covid to stay home and worship with us over the 10:30 am livestream.
• MASKS: facemasks continue to be recommended but not required,
  • however, I do want to urge folks to seriously consider wearing them, and especially our returning students for the first two weeks of the semester.
  • But let me reiterate that no one is to be shamed for exercising their freedom in this matter. Let us “not quarrel about opinions” (Romans 14:1).
  • It is especially important that we exercise grace toward one another on this matter. It may be worth giving my sermon from May 24 another listen.
• CHOIR: with deep regret, the music team has decided to suspend normal choir activity for the fall semester. The choir will engage in monthly rehearsals outside Sunday mornings to allow for greater social distancing (choir members will hear from our music team about this in the near future), and to prepare for the bishop’s visit in November, for which we will have some choral enhancement to our service.
  • Choir rehearsals will correspond with scheduled outdoor hymn-sings for the entire congregation to join; watch the announcements for dates and times.
  • Instrumental music and vocal solos/duets will continue to be offered weekly for the offertory at 10:30.
• FELLOWSHIP LUNCH: with further regret, the fellowship lunch after the 10:30 service will also be suspended for the fall semester.
  • However, we will serve coffee between the two services outside in Kent’s Place (the pavilion behind the church), every first and third Sunday as weather permits. If you plan to come to 8:30, plan also to stay a bit later; if you plan to come to 10:30, consider coming a bit early.
    • We need folks to volunteer to help with this, ideally 2-3 people every first and third Sunday to a) bring coffee, b) set up Kent’s Place during the last part of the 8:30 service, and c) clean up during the first part of the 10:30. See a list of things to do for these, and sign up here.
  • We will endeavor to host a parish picnic on some weekend while the weather is still nice; keep an eye out for an announcement on this.
  • This is a vital ministry of our parish; we will strive to restart it at the earliest convenience.
• WEDNESDAY NIGHT ED: Christian Education for all ages on Wednesday nights will continue this fall as we have done it before. (Fr. Tim sent an email to parents about how we will endeavor to keep our kids safe.)

 
Allow me to conclude by saying a few things. First, not every one in the parish will agree with all these extra measures—some will think they go too far, others not far enough—and so I encourage you to be mindful of the diversity of opinion in the congregation and to conduct yourselves towards one another with generosity and a spirit of service. Second, I want to hear from you if you have concerns; please know that I am ready to listen if you want to talk about these matters. Third, it is my express intent that we as a parish can return to our normal patterns of ministry as soon as possible. Some of the more disappointing items in this list—the choir, our fellowship lunch—will return in full flower at the proper time.
 
Let us pray that God will deliver us from this season soon, and give us patience in the meantime.
 
Blessings in Jesus,
Adam+

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“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’” (Psalm 122:1)
 
Greetings Holy Trinity family,
 
By the grace of God, we will be returning to in-person public worship this coming Sunday, Pentecost, May 31, 2020. Below is some important information about how that will happen.
 
Allow me say how impressed I am by your faithfulness to our church community these past few weeks. Attendance on our livestream services has been high, and has remained so throughout our public shutdown. Many of you have reached out to one another with encouragement and empathy. Your generosity to support the financials of the parish has been humbling. All these things are a reminder that the church is not the building, but the people of God together.
 
Before we get into the weeds of our precautions moving forward with public worship, I want to make it clear first that life will not return to normal immediately. We are initiating a slow process. We will keep you regularly updated to changes, and we invite your gracious feedback.
 
Let me offer these crucial preliminaries

• If you choose to attend public worship at the church, know that there is an increased risked of exposure to illness. We will do what we can to reduce this risk, but it cannot be eliminated. By coming to church, you acknowledge this reality. Pray for God’s aid.
• We affirm those who elect not to attend for a while, but do please jump onto the livestream of our services in the meantime.
• The governor’s order expressly permits churches to gather for public worship.

 
That being said, the leadership of the parish, in consultation with other churches in our diocese and province, and with the express input and approval of our bishop, has decided to enact the following precautions:

• We will have one service of Holy Communion on Sundays at 10:30 am.
• That service will be streamed for anyone who does not physically join us.
• We encourage those who are ill or particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 to stay home, especially those with any form of upper respiratory illness which includes coughing, persistent sneezing, sore throat and/or fever. Seasonal allergies are, of course, excepted.
• Childcare will not be offered, however the nursery will be available for squirmy kids with parental supervision. While in the building, please be careful to keep your children by your side, in charity to your brothers and sisters.
• There will be no fellowship hour in the undercroft after the service.
• Facemasks are not required, but they are encouraged. Best evidence at the moment (spotty as it may be) is that facemasks are useful for preventing the wearer from infecting others if they are sick and don’t know it (i.e. are asymptomatic). As far as the church is concerned, to wear one is a sign of charity to fellow believers, nothing more or less. However, no one will be made to feel shame for exercising their choice.
• There will be several hand sanitizer stations in the nave.
• Every other pew will be blocked off to encourage social distancing. Please be mindful of the signs about where you may sit, and follow any guidance given you by an usher.
• Efforts will be made to minimize multiple hands coming into contact with the same surfaces:
  • The doors will be opened for you by ushers before and after the service.
  • The offering plate will not be passed. Two offering plates will be set on small tables in the nave so you can place your gift either when you enter, or when you come forward for Communion. Online giving remains a good option.
  • Printed service orders will be provided, but if you are able to print out the service order at home before coming, you are encouraged to do so. These will be posted to our website and emailed to you as PDFs in the days before each service.
  • Hymnals and Prayer Books in the pews will be greatly reduced. The words of all the hymns will be printed in the service orders in full.
• Extra precautions will be taken with the administration of Holy Communion:
  • The clergy/servers will wear facemasks for the administration, and we will sanitize our hands immediately before.
  • You will be dismissed by row in small groups, to the side aisles rather than the center aisle. Please do not stand too close to the person in front of you.
  • We will not partake at the rail, but via two standing stations on either side of the pulpit and lectern. The Body of Christ will be administered to you at these stations on the hand only, not on the tongue.
  • The chalice will be offered to all who desire it at the front-center. No one is under compulsion to receive the Blood; be assured of the full benefit of the Sacrament with the Body only. Any who desire the chalice will be allowed to drink directly from the chalice only, intinction will not be permitted. As counter-intuitive as it may feel, multiple studies have shown that direct drinking is the most sanitary way to partake if the chalice is wiped and turned after each person (as has always been our practice).
• After the service concludes, you will be dismissed by rows. Please exit the building immediately. Once in the fresh air of our parking lot and back lawn, please feel free to visit with your brothers and sisters, endeavoring to keep 6’ distance between households.
• As weather permits, we will be leaving the nave windows and back doors open during the service to allow for a cross breeze in the building.

 
Some of these precautions will be more onerous than others. Indeed, seeing them all listed like this makes them appear more distracting than they will probably be in fact! (Don’t worry, we will walk through them carefully during the service until we all get used to them.)

Nevertheless, some of you will find these precautions unnecessarily distracting. Others will find they don’t go nearly far enough. Be aware of the diversity of opinion within our parish, and watch your words and your heart accordingly. There is no doubt in my mind that the Enemy will seek to divide our fellowship over these matters, but we must be sober and watchful against him. We are not unaware of his schemes.
 
If you have not listened to the sermon I preached last Sunday from Romans 14, I urge you with all the earnestness at my command to please take the time to do so. I offer critical counsel for how we might best honor one another during these peculiar times when passions are high and opinions diverse. Click here to go there.
 
My friends, now is the time to show the world that the church does things differently. We do not succumb to partisan bickering, and we freely forgo our preferences to serve each other, “considering others’ interests more important than our own” as St. Paul says. We also show the world the difference between prudent precautions and abject fear, as we both live in the confidence of our Savior’s mighty protection and use the wisdom he has given us to take steps that truly lie within our power to take, giving praise to Jesus in and through all things.
 
I look forward to seeing you in person in the coming weeks. It has been too long.
 
Most humbly and gratefully yours,
​Rev. Adam D. Rick
Rector, on behalf of the clergy and vestry of Holy Trinity Parish

In this three week series, we will explore the benefits Holy Communion brings even when we are in between celebrations. Especially relevant in a time of pandemic when we cannot meet together around the Lord's Table, we will see the Holy Communion continues to provide us ample ministry even without actually partaking. According to a deeply rooted biblical theology--grounded in the doxology of both Old and New Testaments--the mere anticipation of a future celebration is a summons to a life of rigorous self-examination and repentance unto discipleship in the here and now.

In this third lesson, we continue looking at the first Exhortation. Having examined our lives in light of God's commandments, we turn now to what we do when we discover that we have wronged a neighbor. Finally, we touch on private confession.

For this series, we will follow the order and language of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, the theological standard of global Anglicanism. While the 1928 Book of Common Prayer's Exhortations are similar, they deviate in a number of ways which will be noted in the course of lessons. Download the 1662 Exhortations here.

Download the audio file for Part 3 below:

In this three week series, we will explore the benefits Holy Communion brings even when we are in between celebrations. Especially relevant in a time of pandemic when we cannot meet together around the Lord's Table, we will see the Holy Communion continues to provide us ample ministry even without actually partaking. According to a deeply rooted biblical theology--grounded in the doxology of both Old and New Testaments--the mere anticipation of a future celebration is a summons to a life of rigorous self-examination and repentance unto discipleship in the here and now.

In this first lesson, we lay the biblical foundation for the Prayer Book's "pastoral theology" of Holy Communion, and where it shows up (in force!) in the third Exhortation.

For this series, we will follow the order and language of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, the theological standard of global Anglicanism. While the 1928 Book of Common Prayer's Exhortations are similar, they deviate in a number of ways which will be noted in the course of lessons. Download the 1662 Exhortations here.

Download the audio file for Part 1 below:

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Greetings Holy Trinity family,
 
These are the times which try men’s souls. So wrote Thomas Pain in the early days of the American Revolution. But Thomas Pain had nothing on Coronavirus.
 
This has been a trying time for our church fellowship. Not being able to gather together on Sunday is not easy for any of us, least of all your leadership who yearn to serve you in public worship. Many of you have expressed to me a similar longing to come together, and we’ve only had to miss one Sunday together so far!
 
It seems we are going to have to go on longing for a little while longer.
 
Last week, as you know, Governor Whitmer issued an executive order to all Michiganders to shelter-in-place until the end of the day April 13. That is the day after Easter Sunday. The governor’s order effectively decided for us whether or not we would be able to gather publicly for Holy Week. We will not.
 
By the grace of God, the order does provide an exemption for churches in the conducting of public worship. That means we have the freedom to live stream our services to you from the church as we did last Sunday, and we will. But with the order as it stands, it no longer seems prudent for the clergy to bring Holy Communion to peoples’ homes as we did last week. That means our Sunday worship will be according to the Office of Morning Prayer for the time being. Our eventual return to Holy Communion will be all the more sweet.
 
The Morning Office is a historic service, one that was the norm on Sundays for most Anglicans historically, and one which our bishop recently reminded all his clergy is “just as Anglican” as the liturgy of Holy Communion. Indeed, the Morning and Evening offices are treasures of our tradition, reflecting as they do a truly unique blend of ancient catholic order and reformed emphasis on the Word. Some of our Prayer Book’s most treasured prayers are native to these services, and they deserve our honor, reverence, and attention.
 
With regards to Holy Week itself, the leadership of the parish has decided to offer to you what we can of our annual services, and a little more besides. We will be conducting virtual services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, as we have done these past years. They will be familiar to you, with a few differences here and there necessitated by our digital medium. But I dare say you can experience the drama of Holy Week by them if you chose to.
 
In addition to these, to compensate for our inability to be together, we will also offer Evening Prayer Monday through Wednesday in Holy Week. Within our beloved Prayer Book itself, there are in fact readings offered for every day of Holy Week which we have historically not taken advantage of at Holy Trinity. We will hear the full passion accounts in all four of the Gospels. This is surely a poignant way to mark the solemnity of the time. I commend these daily services to you as a meet and right extra discipline for the holiest week of the year.
 
The Holy Week schedule is as follows (all via Zoom)

• Palm Sunday: Liturgy of the Palms and Morning Prayer, 10:30 am
• Holy Monday
  • Morning Prayer, 8:00 am
  • Mid-Day Prayer, 12:30 pm (hosted by Bishop Julian)
  • Evening Prayer, 8:00 pm
• Holy Tuesday:
  • Mid-Day Prayer, 12:30 pm (hosted by Bishop Julian)
  • Evening Prayer, 8:00 pm
• Holy Wednesday:
  • Morning Prayer, 8:00 am
  • Mid-Day Prayer, 12:30 pm (hosted by Bishop Julian)
  • Evening Prayer, 8:00 pm
• Maundy Thursday:
  • Mid-Day Prayer, 12:30 pm (hosted by Bishop Julian)
  • Evening Prayer with Stripping of the Altar, 8:00 pm
• Good Friday:
  • Morning Prayer, 8:00 am
  • Office of Good Friday with Litany, 12:00 noon
  • Stations of the Cross, 5:30 pm
• Holy Saturday
  • Mid-Day Prayer, 12:30 pm (hosted by Bishop Julian)
  • Vigil Office with Renewal of Baptismal Vows and Litany, 8:00 pm

 
Later service times are designed to make things easier for households with children. Fr. Tim is preparing some simpler offices for parents to use with their children earlier in the day on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, so our youngest saints are not left out.
 
At this time, we are not fully sure when we will be allowed to resume our worship in person. Easter Day itself will be celebrated virtually. For that reason, we will postpone our annual parish tradition of singing the Alleluia Chorus until that Sunday when we can gather together again. It will be a grand monument to our joyful reunion.
 
I conclude with this: coronavirus makes not a lick of difference to the victory of our God in Jesus Christ. While we don’t celebrate Easter the way we would like to, we celebrate just the same, because no power in this world can put Jesus back in the grave. Even in a pandemic, we sing our Easter hymn—alleluia! alleluia! alleluia!—for the Lord is risen indeed. In this strange time, I implore you to continue to show forth your true heavenly citizenship by worship, self-denial, and love of neighbor. Let’s show this world that God’s people are not easily brought low, for our King lives and reigns, with the Father and Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
 
Blessings to you all in Jesus,
Adam+

The Rev. Adam D. Rick, Th.M.
Rector, Holy Trinity Parish

Please see the Second Pastoral Letter from March 18 if you haven't already.

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Dear Holy Trinity family,
 
On Monday night, the leadership team of the church met at my home to discuss our ministries going forward in the midst of this health crisis. Paramount in our thinking were a few key things:

• The transcendence and eternal sovereignty of God: the ministry of the church is not just for the benefit of its members, but also and more importantly to bear witness to the timeless truth of God and the good news of his Son Jesus Christ in all times and in every circumstance no matter how severe. Whatever we do cannot give short change to this.
• The church must serve her most vulnerable members: Christ became nothing in order to liberate us, and he taught us thereby that no one’s circumstance is too small to secure his notice. We need to be especially willing to sacrifice in love for our weakest members, as he sacrificed his own glory to die on the cross for us.
• Governing authorities have in the past 72 hours significantly enhanced their urging for communities not to gather in groups larger than 10. They have especially warned of the effect the young and asymptomatic are having spreading the virus; because the incubation period can be up to two weeks, people who go about their day because they “feel” healthy may in fact be infecting others without realizing.
  • It’s important to stress here that we live in a country where we are blessed to be free of government interference on our religious life, and no one has yet mandated that we not meet, but one wonders how we can do our part for the larger community of our own free accord. They will know us by our love, our Lord says.

 
For these reasons, our leadership team has decided in consultation with our bishop, with great reluctance but with a solemn sense of duty, TO MOVE OUR SUNDAY SERVICES TO AN EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE FORMAT the next two Sundays. We will revisit this as we approach Palm Sunday, and we pray earnestly that we can gather together for the observances of Holy Week, by far the most important part of the church year.

• UPDATE: as of this afternoon (Wednesday, March 18), our bishop has formally removed this choice from us: he has now asked all his churches to go exclusively online.

 
Let me stress: Holy Trinity Parish is still open for business even if we are not gathering together physically. The church is NOT shutting down, it’s just shifting how it does business temporarily. Especially with the tools of modern technology, we felt we could make this sacrifice without violating our duty to God or to one another.
 
So to sum up, here is how our ministries while adjust over the next two weeks:

• Sunday mornings: we will gather ONLINE for one service at 10:30 on Sunday morning for the next two Sundays (Lent 4 and Lent 5). We will use a free internet conferencing tool called Zoom to do this, which you will need to download onto your computer, tablet, or smart phone the first time you click a meeting link (see below). This tool has the benefit of allowing you all to see one another (if you use a device with a camera) and that will enhance our sense of togetherness even while physically parted.
  • THIS JUST IN: Bishop Julian will join our service on March 29 via Zoom.
• Choir and other Sunday volunteers: these will be off for the time being. Members of the choir should expect to hear from your leadership soon about plans for Holy Week.
• Sunday fellowship hour: obviously without a physical service, there will be no gathering for food after. This will continue for a time even after we resume our physical services (with the possible exception of the Easter Vigil Break-Fast).
• Wednesday night formation: Awana will be cancelled for the time being. Adult formation will continue to meet ONLINE via Zoom.
  • THIS WEEK you are all highly encouraged to try and Zoom into this as a perfect opportunity to test the system in advance of Sunday morning. We will meet at 6:30 as we always have, and I will be discussing the Psalms of Lament, an appropriate subject for times like this.
• Friday Mom’s Group: these will be conducted via Zoom for the time being.
• Friday Stations of the Cross: we will conduct this service also ONLINE via Zoom.

 
A few extra things we are doing:

• Daily Prayer: We will be offering Morning and Evening Prayer via Zoom throughout the week, Morning Prayer on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 8:00 am, and Evening Prayer on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 pm. These will last about 30 minutes.
• Email contact: the church is rolling out a new email client using the Mail Chimp platform. After this email, expect most communication to come that way. You shouldn’t have to change anything on your end, but know that sometimes when Mail Chimp accounts roll out, it can land in folks’ spam folders, so keep on eye on those, and designate our mail as a “safe sender” in whatever email program you use.
• Printed directories: if you have an entry in the parish directory and you did NOT pick one up last Sunday, they are being mailed to you.

 
For all online gatherings, the church has set up a webpage with direct links to help you get where you need to go. At any scheduled time, simply go to this webpage to find the relevant links: http://www.trinityhillsdale.org/covid-19.html
 
Let me conclude by offering a few exhortations:

• In this time of crisis, do not forget to love one another. Send each other cards. Call each other. Be mindful especially of our shut-ins and older folks; they will feel especially hard the pain of their isolation right now.
• We have a Facebook group for reaching out with needs and coordinating help. Check it often, and please use it if you need something: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1117026265311095/?source_id=189454161090394
• DO NOT FORGET TO TITHE: the church is still open for business, as I said, and we continue to be thankful for your generous support. You can give online, or you can mail cash or checks to the church’s mail box (P.O. Box 845, Hillsdale, MI 49242); DO NOT send money to our physical address, as the Post Office will not deliver mail there.
• Please monitor your emails for further updates from the church as they come.

 
May God bless you and keep you this peculiar Lenten season.
 
In his service,
Adam+
​
The Rev. Adam D. Rick, Th.M.
Rector, Holy Trinity Parish

The following collects were prayed from the altar on Sunday, March 15, and they may be of use by individuals during this time of great sickness.

​Prayer for the sick
(BCP 2019, For a Sick Person, p. 231, adapted)

O Father of mercies and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need: We humbly beseech you to behold, visit, and relieve any who have fallen ill during this pandemic. Look upon them with the eyes of your mercy; comfort them with a sense of your goodness; preserve them from the temptations of the enemy; and give them patience under their affliction. In your good time, restore them to health, and enable them to lead the remainder of their life in your fear, and to your glory; and grant that finally they may dwell with you in life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for great sickness
(BCP 1928, p. 45, modernized)

​O most mighty and merciful God, in this time of grievous sickness, we flee unto you for comfort. Deliver us, we pray, from our peril; give strength and skill to all those who minister to the sick; prosper the means made use of for their cure; and grant that, perceiving how frail and uncertain our life is, we may apply our hearts to that heavenly wisdom which leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

​Prayer for medical professions
(BCP 2019, No. 50)

​Almighty God, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ went about doing good, and healing all manner of sickness and disease among the people: Continue in our local hospital and clinics his gracious work among us, console and heal the sick; grant to the physicians, nurses, and assisting staff wisdom and skill, diligence and patience; prosper their work, O Lord, and send down your blessing upon all who serve the suffering; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For civil authorities
(BCP 2019, No. 30, modified)

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, send down on those who hold public office the spirit of wisdom, charity, and justice, that in these troubled and stressful times and with steadfast purpose, they may faithfully serve in their offices to promote the well-being of all people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In times of social conflict or distress
(BCP 2019, No. 44, modified)

​Increase, O God, the spirit of neighborliness among us, that in peril we may uphold one another, in suffering tend to one another, and in sickness, loneliness, or uncertainty befriend one another. Grant us brave and enduring hearts that we may strengthen one another, until the disciplines and testing of these days are ended, and you again give peace in our time; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For trustfulness in a time of worry
(BCP 2019, No. 80)

​Most loving Father, you will us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on the One who cares for us. Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested unto us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For quiet confidence
(BCP 2019, No. 82, modified)

​O God of peace, who hast taught us that in repentance and rest we shall be saved, in trustfulness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the answering of prayer
(BCP 2019, No. 100)

​Almighty God, you have promised to hear the petitions of those who ask in the Name of your Son: Mercifully incline your ear to us as we make our prayers and supplications to you, and grant that what we ask faithfully, according to your will, we may obtain effectually, for the relief of our necessities and the setting forth of your glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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​Greetings Holy Trinity family,
 
Much has transpired in the last 48 hours regarding the coronavirus outbreak which is affecting the entire world: travel bans have been imposed by our President, certain areas of the country are on increased lockdown, several area universities (Michigan State, University of Michigan, Purdue University, among others) have announced they are switching their instruction to online rather than allowing students to return from spring break. Our own Hillsdale College has pushed back the start of classes after spring break from this Monday to the following Wednesday to allow professors time to move their courses to online delivery to accommodate students who don’t want to return, though as yet we expect most students will come back. In some cases, even some churches have postponed their services, or offered dramatic changes to how they are offered. Cardinal Dolan recently put a rapid stop to the passing of the peace at a Mass at which he was presiding!
 
All of these developments are rather worrisome for many. Here is what I suggest as your pastor:

1. If you are feeling concerned, I encourage you above all to take your anxieties to God in prayer. He alone makes us to dwell in safety.
2. In addition, the best source of information about the virus is not presently the news media or your favorite YouTuber or blogger; please pay close attention to the announcements of actual health authorities (the CDC, WHO, etc), and avoid ingesting or spreading false information.
3. If you are unsure what to believe, or if you feel at risk of illness, go see your doctor without delay.
4. Finally, if you are part of an ask-risk demographic for serious complications from the virus, you are encouraged to take whatever precautions you think best for you and your family. If this means missing church, then so be it. BUT if you do absent yourself on Sunday, I highly exhort you to gather your family on Sunday morning and pray Morning Prayer from the prayer book together, being especially mindful to offer up the Collect in a Time of Great Sickness on page 45. The Litany also, with the Supplication included (pages 54-59) has traditionally been used in churches during times of great anxiety, and may be appended to the end of Morning or Evening Prayer. I commend it to you.

 
Here are some of the things Holy Trinity is doing about the virus:

1. We will NOT be cancelling any of our normal services. It seems pastorally unwise to remove the people’s recourse to worship even during times of sickness. Expect our services to continue as normal, but if you do not feel well or you are concerned about getting sick, you are welcome to stay home and worship privately.
2. We are attempting to procure supplies of hand sanitizer to distribute in the pews, though supplies have been a little hard to come by. At the very least, a couple large dispensers will be available at the front entrance of the nave. Please avail yourself of them.
3. The clergy likewise will be making use of hand sanitizer (from the altar) during the distribution of Holy Communion.
4. Holy Communion will be administered like normal; folks who are feeling unwell or who are concerned about getting sick are invited to take Communion in one kind (that is, just the bread) for the time being. Be assured of the full benefit of the sacrament in this mode of partaking.
5. During the administration of Holy Communion, PLEASE DO NOT INTINCT THE WAFERS YOURSELF. If you would like your bread dipped in the wine, please permit the server to dip it for you and place it directly on your tongue. Our servers will no longer allow you to intinct yourself for the time being.

 
Further, please consult these recent guidelines from our diocese and national church:

• A letter from our Bishop, Julian Dobbs.
• A letter from our Archbishop, Foley Beach. 

​If you miss church and would like a pastoral visitation, with or without Communion, please reach out to me or Fr. Tim.
 
Offer yourselves to God, and he will care for you. Peace be with you, friends.
 
Blessings in Jesus,
Adam+
 
Rev. Adam D. Rick, Th.M.
Rector, Holy Trinity Parish