A Message from Pastor Laura
Dear LaSalle Family,
I hope this message finds you well -- in body and in spirit. I, like many of you, have been amazed at the scope of breaking news surrounding COVID-19. I am searching for the right words to describe a situation without comparison. It’s both a blessing and a burden to live in an age where information can circle the globe at the click of a button. Our connectedness to one another is undeniable; as are our shared responsibilities.
To that end: the Elder Board and pastoral staff of LaSalle have reached the joint decision to suspend in-person Sunday worship and programming for the next few weeks. This includes Community Hour programming in Cornerstone Center. I realize this will catch many of us off guard. Let me share some of our reasoning behind this decision and what you can expect this Sunday and the weeks to come.
We do not make this decision lightly. It weighs on me that in our building’s 135-year history, LaSalle has no record of stopping Sunday morning worship for weeks. But this unprecedented response is matched by the unprecedented situation we’re facing.
Because of the cozy nature of our church building, we feel there is simply no way to conduct worship services without increasing risk of exposure to many of our congregation’s elderly, vulnerable, or immunocompromised. Even though the decision to cancel services is one that (pardon the pun) makes me sick, it’s the only way we can guarantee health and safety for everyone. As one LaSaller put it, public health means we protect the less healthy. You may fight off the virus; your neighbor needs you to fight for them.
This Sunday, we will stream a message on our YouTube channel at 10 AM for you to watch live. We encourage you to join us online as you are able. There will be a live chat feature next to the video, and I hope you’ll use that to ‘check in’ and let us know you’re worshipping with us. In future weeks, we plan to live stream a more full version of our Sunday experience, including some worship songs. While we will not all be in the same place on Sunday, we can certainly still be together -- together in prayer, meditation, and as a body of believers worshipping the Good News of Jesus Christ!
In making this decision, we are leaning particularly on the wisdom and expertise of multiple LaSallers who are medical doctors and nurses, many of whom have reached out to encourage us to make this exact decision. When the knowledgeable and wise people in your life offer their knowledge and wisdom, it’s up to you to listen -- we want you to know we are listening.
While the live in-building element of our services will be on hiatus for the time being, the work of the church very much continues! One of the ways we can support each other right now is through wellness checks for those in the LaSalle community. Do you have a loved one you would like us to call and stay in contact with over the coming weeks? Or maybe that person is you -- do you live alone and want the comfort of your church friends making sure you’re staying healthy? Please let me and Pastor Randall know, so we can continue to monitor the situation for all in our church family.
Please, please, please keep our Elder Board and pastoral staff in prayer over the next few days -- we are in definite need of God’s guidance at this time. Pray for all the front line workers: medical staff, educators, social workers, hospitality and sanitation workers. Pray for the health and the economic livelihood of citizens around the world.
This cancellation will have multiple cascading effects, and I’m sure you have many questions, not all of which may have complete answers right now. As you reach out with those questions, I ask for your patience so I can respond in a meaningful and accurate way to address all your concerns. Let’s all remember that Jesus loves this world more than we ever can. God is always at work in us and around us. You, me, and everything we see and love are all being held by God’s care and design. Let’s settle our hearts and our minds on those sure and unshakable truths.
In prayer with you all,
-Pastor Laura