Happy New Year, Friends!

It’s a new year – yet much remains the same. Our country is in the throes of a new COVID surge, driven by the new Omicron variant of the disease. As I write this, Beaufort County has hit a new peak number of COVID cases. This new variant is even more transmissible than the Delta variant, and even the fully vaccinated and boosted are catching it in great numbers. 

The good news is that those of us who are fully vaccinated and boosted generally experience fewer, and less intense, symptoms. The fully vaccinated and boosted are also less likely to require hospitalization. 

Out of an abundance of caution, our Reopening Task Force met while I was on vacation and made the decision that we should return to Zoom worship and meetings for the time being. Out of that same abundance of caution, Tom & I went to get tested for COVID on Monday, 1/10/22, four days after returning from the upper Midwest. We were in that three-hour long line to get tested at the Hilton Head Island Fire Station #4, as reported in the Island Packet on 1/11/22. Now we wait for our test results.

Now that I’m back to work in the office, I’m wearing a KN-95 mask when anyone else is in the building. Nick is also working in the office, masked. If you stop by to see us, please bring a mask and wear it for everyone’s health and safety. 

I sympathize with every one of you who wishes we were still meeting in person for worship and other Fellowship business. It is actually harder to prepare and deliver worship online than in person, and yes – we are restarting our efforts to figure out how to livestream worship. 

It’s dispiriting to be here, still. And I remember this piece of wisdom: “This too shall pass.” All things change, nothing remains the same forever. 

Looking forward to being with you again!

Blessings,
Rev. Lori