Dear Friends in Christ,

When I was a little girl, I remember waiting for my mother as she did Altar Guild duty. I especially loved watching her clean up after worship because I got a close-up view of all those mysterious items that sat on the altar. As she cleaned, I asked her questions like, “What’s this for?” or “Why are you doing that?” And she always answered me.

Even with my mother’s great example, it never occurred to me to join an Altar Guild until a few years ago when someone at Epiphany personally asked me. While flattered, I was intimidated. What if I messed up and broke worship?  After much thought and a little prayerful consideration, I said yes. I swear I heard my mother laugh.

Altar Guild is pretty much a “by the book” ministry. Really. We have books to tell us what to do, how you set things up, and even when to use which banners. I’m not saying that Altar Guild has no room for creativity. After all, we decorate the worship space for Christmas, Easter, and other special occasions. But, day-to-day, Altar Guild is, well, predictable. Or at least it was until COVID 19.

When the pandemic hit and we were in lockdown, we suddenly had to get creative. All the plans we had made a few weeks before and the years’ worth of wine and sanctuary candles we’d just purchased suddenly were irrelevant. Instead, we needed to figure out how to set up the sanctuary for online worship with Spiritual Communion when only two members of the Altar Guild were willing to come into the church building. (I was not one of the two but am grateful to them.)

One of our most difficult tasks was to develop a plan for the safe distribution and reception of Eucharistic bread. This led to some lively discussions and disagreements. The sticking point was how to meet the needs of those who wanted the Priest to put the bread in their hand and those who were not comfortable with such close contact. In the end, we were guided by God and a Supply Priest to a solution that all could agree on. And that’s how we got the tray full of wafers in tiny muffin papers.

The Altar Guild has weathered the pandemic by working together. Sometimes it was a group of two. Other times it was more of us communicating through texts and emails. But we stayed connected and worked together even as we worked alone.

Personally, I’ve come to see my Altar Guild duties in a new light. I’m a “get things done” kind of person and setting up the altar became another job to get done. When I came into the worship space that first time after the pandemic started, a feeling of calm came over me. It was like I was given the gift of a moment of normal. I washed my hands and said the Altar Guild prayer. I moved more slowly focusing on what I was doing. For the first time in months, I felt that God was there.

One day, things will be back to what some will call normal. One day we’ll go back to doing things by the book, but it will never be the same as it was. And that’s not entirely a bad thing. We now know that things can change in an instant and when they do, we’ll work together knowing that God will guide us. Thank you for helping us continue Changing Lives through Changing Times.

Blessings to you All,

Sally Campbell