Dear Restoration, As we come to the end of 2020, I am grateful for our church’s faithfulness to God and to each other. We have been challenged in so many ways, yet we have sought the Kingdom and seen moments of redemption. We have built new platforms for worship like our Restoration YouTube Channel and our Zoom room for daily […]
The Plan for Christmas Eve On December 24, Restoration will offer a combination of YouTube Live and In-Person worship. Outdoor, in-person Eucharist will be offered by 4 different members of the clergy at 12:00, 4:00, 5:00, and 6:00. Each of these will include hand-held candles, quiet acapella singing of Silent Night, and the Eucharist. Everyone who […]
Dear Restoration,“Therefore stay awake- for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning- lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.” (Mark 13:35-36) I have loved the special ‘Opening Sentences of Scripture’ that have welcomed us into morning […]
The Wardens’ Report: highlights from monthly Vestry meetings. The Vestry met over Zoom (as we have since March) on December 1, for about four hours, by far our longest meeting of the year. After Adam Guzzo opened us in prayer, the main (but hardly only) matter was to consider whether Restoration should revise its “Phase Beta” […]
Dear Restoration, Last Friday, Governor Northam issued a “Phase Three Tightening” of his Executive Order 67 imposing restrictions to address Covid-19, responding to the rise in cases and hospitalizations. We have studied amended EO67 and received input from Bishop Guernsey. Restoration’s “Phase Beta” protocols, which the Vestry established in September, comply with it (apart from one minor change […]
Restoration, I am grateful to God for our week of unceasing intercession. Thank you for participating with such great anticipation. I am writing with 2 quick updates and a longer reflection. Ordination on Sunday at 3pm We are grateful for the privilege of having shepherded 2 curates through the ordination process to priesthood: Isaiah Brooms and […]
Good morning Restoration, It has brought me great joy this week to both offer prayer and receive prayer as we join together in Good Things Grow Through Prayer. Multiple times throughout the day I have realized (remembered!) ‘someone is praying for me right now!’ I open the sign-up. I smile. I say, ‘thanks God that they are […]
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night… (Psalm 92:1) We prayed this psalm during morning prayer today. It is a ‘song for the sabbath’ and a wonderful reminder of how sabbath […]
PreambleThe Phase Beta plan builds on the foundation that was established in Phase Alpha. Phase Alpha was designed to be deliberately small and conservative so that we could test and pilot having a congregation in our sanctuary. We wanted to give Restoration people an opportunity to demonstrate their desire to worship in-person and we wanted to […]
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. Psalm 139: 17-18 Friends, Hope you are having a great week. We prayed this psalm during morning prayer today. It […]