April 29, 2020
IN THIS EDITION : Bishop Brown's COVID Response #10 | A Word to the Church from Presiding Bishop Curry | 5 steps to living with uncertainty
During pandemic, people crave community and hope.
We as Church know how to do that!
From virtually day one of social distancing in Delaware, across the state our clergy and parishioners are adapting to new circumstances and continuing to serve their communities through this pandemic.

Georgetown is hard hit by the coronavirus and the need for items from St. Paul's little red cupboard has never been greater. It provides food, tooth brushes, tooth paste, baby food, socks, and books. Items are donated by parishioners and it has become such a valuable resource that a committee of parishioners has been assembled to maintain constant replacement of needed items.

In quiet downtown Lewes, the little red cupboard outside the centuries-old St. Peter's church is for some a beacon of hope. It provides free food for those in need and, as the coronavirus crisis has some families wondering where their next meal will come from, the need is greater than ever.

Brandywine Collaborative Ministries (BCM) in Wilmington offers parishioners a virtual coffee hour after the online Sunday service. A steady group enjoys this new way of being in community. Also, volunteers at the Church of the Ascension in Claymont (part of BCM) are busy making masks for BCM parishioners.
At Trinity Parish, Wilmington, the Rev. Charles Cowen continues his ministry work. Moms Demand Action held an online rally with local leaders and Rep. Lisa Blount-Rochester. They discussed ways of encouraging our elected officials to see that people are not stockpiling weapons during pandemic, and talked about ways of offering emotional support to those who struggle in this time. Most gun deaths are suicide related. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention offers online workshops of the Talk Saves Lives program, which teaches people how to help others with suicidal ideation. They’re also fundraising for upcoming walks, and a national virtual walk is being planned. Cowen is also a volunteer with the Trevor Project , which provides support for LGBTQ+ youth who are considering suicide. Their talk line is open 24/7. Trevorproject.org

Wilmington's Emmanuel Dining Room (EDR) is not serving hot meals during the COVID-19 pandemic. However many people in need of food depend on EDR for help. The St. David's Church, Wilmington, outreach committee asked parishioners for donations to help supply food for EDR and their efforts were a great success.

We would love to hear what your parish is doing in these times!
Bishop Brown's COVID-19 Update
When Will Our Churches Reopen?
A Word to the Church:
What Would Love Do?
When one is close to or in the midst of something big, it is hard to see the whole picture. It’s rather like being up close to a tapestry — one can see the details of individual stitches and brilliancy of colors but not the whole pattern or entire image. Even when we think we can see our way ahead clearly, in reality our lives are always like this — our horizons are limited. Such is our path and we journey along it with faith. At this time in our collective pilgrimage, we take a look back at joyful past occasions when we could delight in being together in community, as we pray our way forward with a prayer attributed to Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador.
Check it out!
Five steps to living with uncertainty during the pandemic
In the last few weeks, with the coronavirus making its rounds around the world, there is more uncertainty as to what we’ll be doing in the next few months, weeks, or even days than many of us can remember experiencing in a very long time. Rest assured, you are not alone.

Uncertainty is one of the most difficult human experiences. Uncertainty means not having control over what might happen to us. We don’t do so well when we don’t have a sense of control – we may feel more anxious and more depressed and be more susceptible to pain and physical illnesses. Because a sense of control is so vital to our health and well-being, our minds go to great lengths to gain a sense of control in the face of uncertainty.

With the goal of allowing yourself to experi-ence uncertainty, disengage from attempts to get rid of it, and allow yourself to respond to the discomfort of uncertainty in helpful ways, there is a step-by-step approach you can use when you experience uncertainty. The acronym for this approach is FLARE. Read Psychology Today article here.
Did you know?
What an early Anglican can teach us about sickness today
It’s tempting, in times of scientific uncertainty, to think we have nothing to learn from Christians in the distant past. We would not wish to consult them on questions related to germ theory or the treatment of a novel coronavirus, but Christians in earlier times faced much more uncertainty and fear of disease than we do now.

John Donne, Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral from 1621 until his death in 1631, pub-lished a series of 23 meditations following his recovery from a near-fatal illness. One
he wrote on hearing funeral bells ringing while in his sickbed: “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. [. . . A]ny man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee” ( Meditation 17 ).

It is a rousing call to care first for our community as a whole, rather than our individual interests. Read Living Church article here.
News from the Episcopal Church
An invitation for you, from Presiding Bishop Curry: Habits of Grace
"As we learn how to adjust our lives given the reality of the coronavirus and the request to do our part to slow its spread by practicing social distancing, I invite you to join me each week to take a moment to cultivate a ‘habit of grace.’ A new meditation will be posted on Mondays through May." Start watching here .
Cycle of Prayer in the Episcopal Church in Delaware
T his week (week of April 26) we hold up in prayer St. Martin's-in-the-Field Church , Selbyville, the Rev. Glenn A. Duffy, Pastor, and the Rev. Deacon Tom McCormick. For Cycle of Prayer Calendar for 2019-2020 click here.
Announcements in the Episcopal Church in Delaware
Please let us know the ministries, e.g. feeding, clothing, social justice, etc., you are involved with or providing at this time. We would like to share with others. Please include any images you might have.
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