We Still Gather in Hope

I am as disappointed as anyone to announce that the spread of COVID has resurged and Second-Ponce will need to adjust plans accordingly. Despite continuous appeals from health professionals, only 43% of Atlantans are fully vaccinated and the Atlanta numbers are trending in the wrong direction. At the beginning of July, the new case rate, the % positive rate and the hospitalizations were all very low, giving us optimism that this virus nightmare was behind us. On July 30, all three of those metrics spiked dangerously. Atlanta has moved backwards in the move to reopen, reverting from Phase 4 back to Phase 3.

Considering new health data, SPdL is also back to observing Phase 3 protocols. Vaccinated and unvaccinated worshippers will again wear masks and observe social distance on Sundays, doing our part to help the Atlanta numbers trend back in the right direction. This surprising COVID spike is also disrupting our plans for a regathering celebration on August 22. We made plans for our SPdL regathering when the data suggested that Atlanta might be in Phase 5 by mid- August. We are not postponing all our hopes for the 22nd – we will still start Sunday School back on that day, we will move back to a one-hour worship format, we will promote Sunday Schools and have our back-to-school blessing. We will postpone our celebratory worship gathering, new member presentation and fellowship meal until a later date when we are more convinced that we can participate safely.

I continue to be grateful for the good work of our COVID Task Force. (I had hoped their work was coming to an end!) Mary Carlton, Bianna Grogg, Amanda Payne, Jeff Miller, Steve Reams and Chan Snipes have been watching the trends closely and advising their church about how and when to gather safely. Because of their scientifically informed recommendations, we have had no case of transmission traced back to a SPdL sponsored gathering. Even when I don’t like hearing what they report, I take my hat off in gratitude for their work and spirit and commitment to follow the science, even when it is unpopular. I have, many times over the course of the last year and a half, told them my preference, but I have also committed to respect their informed recommendations, even when they do not conform to my preferences. They have led us well and I am grateful.

We still gather in hope. One day, and hopefully soon, our long wait for unrestricted community will return. Regathering will be sweeter when it arrives.