Presiding Bishop Curry’s Word to the Church: When the Cameras are Gone, We Will Still Be Here

May 30, 2020

A word to the Church from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry: “Our long-term commitment to racial justice and reconciliation is embedded in our identity as baptized followers of Jesus. We will still be doing it when the news cameras are long gone.”

Read more…

In the News. Gathering the flock: Services to return, with restrictions

As reported in the Union Leader. “No handshakes or embraces, no passing of the collection plate, no sharing of the Communion cup, no gathering before or after services. It surely will look different, but houses of worship in New Hampshire can reopen, after Gov. Chris Sununu on Friday released his much-anticipated guidelines for public religious services, effective immediately.”

Service of Solemn Memorial for those who have died as a result of COVID-19: Monday, June 1, 2020 at Noon

As we mark the death of over 100,000 people in the US from COVID-19, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry along with faith leaders across the country have called for a National Day of Mourning and Lament, Monday, June 1, 2020. Bishop Rob will preside over a Service of Solemn Memorial for those who have died as a result of COVID-19. The service will be held on Zoom, Monday, June 1, at Noon. To attend the service, please visit our website and click on the appropriate zoom link.

From Bishop Rob: Seasonal Chapels in NH

While the State of New Hampshire works through its various "re-opening" schedules, an informed decision regarding the operation of our summer chapels must be made. The eight summer chapels, from the Great North Woods and Lakes Region to Monadnock and the Seacoast, are an integral part of the summer traditions and practices of generations of families; treasured rituals that connect local and seasonal residents alike to God and community.

As you can imagine, this has been a very difficult period of discernment, however, I must announce that all seasonal chapels in New Hampshire will be closed to in-person worship this summer, through Labor Day.

Prayer and reflection lead me back to our guiding principles during this coronavirus pandemic, the first and primary principle being to prioritize the well-being of our neighbors, especially those most at risk of contracting this virus, over our desire to gather in our church buildings.

In many ways, our seasonal chapels attract those most vulnerable to the contagion: older worshippers over 65, many with underlying  medical conditions. In addition, most of our seasonal residents travel from beyond the immediate area and from out-of-state -- adding the complicating risk factors of geography, travel, and proper quarantine.

While the chapels will be closed to in-person worship, seasonal clergy will continue to serve as they are able -- including the need to self-quarantine for a two week period if they are making use of on-site housing.

The coronavirus has created an extraordinary time for reflection in our lives. Discerning what is essential, how is God calling us along new paths -- toward light and community in Christ? I encourage you to seek opportunities to use your gifts of creativity and innovation. How might online worship and prayer services, virtual coffee hours, phone-tree check-ins, and remote pastoral care enrich and serve your congregations?

Our Presiding Bishop has urged us to ask: "What would love do?" In that spirit, we will continue to respond to the coronavirus challenge and seek pathways to God, love for ourselves and others, and how best to be the church.

Yours in the Risen Christ, 

The. Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld
Bishop of New Hampshire

A Message from Bishop Rob about Reconciliation and "Work Avoidance"

In our busy-ness, are we actually avoiding work? What's the real work we should be accomplishing during this time of pandemic and isolation? Bishop Rob talks about the importance of reconciliation. Click here to watch the video message.

The Church and Stay at Home 2.0: Following the Good Shepherd on the Path Ahead

Dear Clergy and Lay Leaders, 

As the state of New Hampshire begins to walk towards a gradual "re-opening" of the state - for business, employment, and services - while maintaining important public health measures to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, I am sharing this document to provide guidance about how we might think about "re-opening" our churches. 

Following The Good Shepherd On The Path Ahead 

As always, the diocesan staff and I welcome your questions and concerns and we stand ready to pray, consult and partner with you now and in the days ahead. 

Yours in the Risen Christ,
The. Rt. Rev. A. Robert HirschfeldBishop of New Hampshire

Bishop's "Foolish" Ride Raises Awareness for Wearing Masks and NHCF Community Crisis Action Fund

Bishop Rob completed one circuit around the State House in Concord, NH. on Wednesday, April, 15, 2020. The Bishop did his “foolish” ride for Jesus to convey the importance of wearing your mask in public during these critical next few weeks, and to encourage those who can to donate to the NH Charitable Foundation’s Community Crisis Action Fund: nhcf.org/about-us/community-crisis-action-action-fund/.

1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Bishop Rob chose this light-hearted, “foolish” ride to illustrate the power of faith in the resurrection of Jesus and the power in us all to come together to aid and assist each other in a time of urgent need. Bishop Rob began his ride at precisely 1:18 PM!

Watch his ride on YouTube at NHEpiscopal

As reported in the Concord Monitor

Statement from the Episcopal Bishops of New England on the Disestablishment of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, the People of the First Light, have lived in what is now known as southeastern New England for 12,000 years.  400 years ago they sheltered the pilgrims in need of refuge and care.  After giving that precious gift of hospitality, the Mashpee Wampanoag endured and overcame generations of persecution, oppression and marginalization.  Today they are threatened with having their reservation lands taken out of trust and being disestablished by the United States government in their own homeland.  

As Christians, we are called by Christ to love our neighbors as ourselves and to grow as a community rooted in love.  As Episcopalians, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, The Most Rev. Michael Curry, has called us to work towards a beloved community of racial healing, reconciliation and justice.  In this season of Easter in which we celebrate Christ’s Resurrection, we celebrate the Creator’s power of resurrection, justice and love over the powers of death, oppression and empire. In that spirit, we cannot and must not ignore what is happening to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe today.  

On March 27, 2020, Chairman Cedric Cromwell/Qaqeemasq wrote:  “At 4:00 pm today -- on the very day that the United States has reached a record 100,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and our Tribe is desperately struggling with responding to this devastating pandemic -- the Bureau of Indian Affairs informed me that the Secretary of the Interior has ordered that our reservation be disestablished and that our land be taken out of trust.  Not since the termination era of the mid-twentieth century has a Secretary taken action to disestablish a reservation… It begs the question, what is driving our federal trustee's crusade against our reservation?”  Vice Chairwoman Jesse Little Doe Baird spoke in a statement on March 29th, 2020 about the injustice of removing land out of trust for the tribe and putting tribal housing, language and school programs in dire risk.  She called for the public to reach out and support the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe by contacting the Senate and the Secretary of the Interior.  

The Episcopal Church has renounced the Doctrine of Discovery and expressed solidarity with indigenous peoples. https://www.episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/acts/acts_resolution.pl?resolution=2012-A131  At the same time, we acknowledge that we have made our own mistakes in the past, rooted in colonization, selfishness and prejudice in mistreating the Wampanoag people and the many indigenous peoples of this land.  In the Gospels (Mark 2:17), Jesus Christ called his followers to metanoia - that is to repentance- to a change in direction and in our way of life which is lived towards God.  In this way we must be connected with and supportive of the Wampanoag and the indigenous peoples of this land.  In solidarity with the Mashpee Wampanoag people, we call on the United States Department of the Interior and the political leaders of this land to honor and respect the reservation lands of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.  

Responding to the Mashpee Wampanoag call for support and advocating with the tribe, we ask you to consider taking any or all of the actions listed below.

The Episcopal Bishops of New England:
The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Massachusetts
The Rt. Rev. Gayle E. Harris, Massachusetts
The Rt. Rev. Carol J.  Gallagher, Massachusetts
The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas, Connecticut
The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens, Connecticut
The Rt. Rev. W. Nicholas Knisely, Rhode Island
The Rt. Rev. Douglas J. Fisher, Western Massachusetts
The Rt. Rev. Shannon MacVean-Brown, Vermont
The Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Brown, Maine
The Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld, New Hampshire

On May 15, 2019 the Mashpee Wampanoag Reservation Reaffirmation Act HR312 was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The U.S. Senate is yet to take up the HR312 legislation.

CALL YOUR SENATORS
ASK: Please protect the Mashpee Reservation by passing HR 312

WRITE TO SENATE INDIAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN HOEVEN AND RANKING MEMBER UDALL
ADDRESS:
The Honorable John Hoeven
Chairman Senate Indian Affairs Committee 

The Honorable Tom Udall 
Ranking Member Senate Indian Affairs Committee
838 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20515 

CONTACT THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR TO EXPRESS YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE MASHPEE WAMPANOAG TRIBE

https://www.doi.gov/contact-us?fbclid=IwAR1rkMvrE3YWwuk3sMjwiWF1O2G_tGGgoGF-1p2akZyAj1hPyGdUVnDfpoE

SIGN THE PETITION

https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/stand-with-the-mashpee?bucket&source=facebook-share-button&time=1585509074&utm_campaign&utm_source=facebook&share=3e7f3c3c-98b9-4240-9ead-eec4c924779e&fbclid=IwAR1N2AvemAUuzkPcpMLEhyZfVXGMigQqxCneAUGzZxBDIeKi92ANdT6bNcU

To learn more about the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and what is at stake, you can watch this video:
https://vimeo.com/293866929

To learn more about the Episcopal Church and the Doctrine of Discovery, you can see the resources on this page: https://episcopalchurch.org/library/topics/doctrine-discovery

Bishop Rob’s “Foolish” Ride - RESCHEDULED

BISHOP ROB'S "FOOLISH" RIDE RESCHEDULED

With weather forecasts Monday calling for rain, heavy at times, and wind gusts up to 40 mph -- late morning through the afternoon -- Bishop Rob's "Foolish" Ride has been rescheduled for Wednesday, April 15, at 1:18 PM.

The Bishop of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire, the Rt. Rev. Robert Hirschfeld, will jump on his unicycle (yes, his unicycle!), don his Bishop’s Mitre — and his coronavirus mask — and complete one circuit around the State House in Concord. 

• Wednesday, April 15, 2020 (NEW DATE)

• At 1:18 PM

• In front of the State House, Concord, NH

The Bishop is doing his “foolish” ride for Jesus to convey three important messages:

• First, it is critical that we continue to flatten the coronavirus curve and keep our neighbors safe by always wearing a mask in public. The next weeks are crucial —  wearing your mask in public will make a big difference fro the health and safety of our neighbors and ourselves.

• Many of our neighbors in NH have been devastated by the medical and economic impact of the coronavirus. It is time to act for our neighbors who are most vulnerable — with compassion, with vision and with focus. The NH Charitable Foundation has created a Community Crisis Action Fund. The Bishop asks that you contribute and help in any way you can. To learn more and donate, visit: nhcf.org/about-us/community-crisis-action-action-fund/.

• 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Bishop Rob has chosen this light-hearted, “foolish” unicycle ride to illustrate the power of faith in the resurrection of Jesus and the power in us all to come together to aid and assist each other in a time of urgent need.

The Bishop’s ride will be live streamed on Facebook Live, https://www.facebook.com/NHEpiscopal/ on Wednesday, April 15, 2020, beginning at 1:18 PM — in recognition of 1 Corinthians 1:18.

NH’s Stay at Home Order: A Letter from Bishop Rob

March 27, 2020

Dear Friends in Christ,

We have just heard from Governor Sununu that the State of New Hampshire will be under a Stay at Home order until Monday May 4th.  The purpose of this order is to slow progression of the virus that causes COVID-19.  

Expected Timeline for Worship

The Governor’s Stay at Home Order gives us some guidance about the timeframe of our fast from in-person public worship.  It is now clear that we will not be able to gather as usual for our Holy Week and Easter celebrations.  The earliest we might consider returning to our sanctuaries for worship may be Sunday May 10, which happens to be Good Shepherd Sunday/Mothers’ Day.  Having said this, I need to assert there is no guarantee that it may be deemed prudent or safe for us to return to church on that day, and it may very well be that a call to return may not come to all churches all at once. We will continue to update you as the situation evolves.  In the meantime,  your local church is providing, either by their own production or by referring to the worship services the diocese is making available, on-line worship services of word, prayer and spiritual communion, even as we experience this time of sacramental exile and fasting. 

Essential Services

Clearly, we are all striving to balance the need to provide pastoral and necessary care to households in need of food, clothing, shelter and other needs, while at the same time ensuring that our volunteers and guests are safe.  The physical configurations of these ministries vary from setting to setting. Some have found it impossible to maintain the necessary 6 feet distance between persons. At least one food pantry and a major day care provider have had to close after learning of positive test results for the virus.  Others are endeavoring to remain open as long as it is feasible and deemed safe to do so.  We know these decisions are extremely difficult yet sometimes necessary to make. Please consult with your local health officer and engage your Bishop’s Committees and Vestries.  You have my support and prayers as you make these decisions and my office is eager to be informed and consulted. 

We can take heart that, though we have had to close almost all of our spaces for 12-Step Recovery Programs, those organizations have displayed tremendous adaptability in moving their meetings to on-line formats.  A recent NHPR Exchange discussion revealed that there has actually been a significant expansion in persons being included in meetings.  Though the recovery of many will remain vulnerable, our prayers continue for the ways God continues actively to seek the liberation and life of those experiencing addiction.

Since we took the lead from our neighboring states, I am grateful that as a church, we have already taken many precautions in advance of the New Hampshire order to help safeguard the health of our parishes and the communities they serve.  We are practicing physical distancing, limiting the numbers of our gatherings to no more than 10 as the Governor’s order stipulates.  We are getting very adept at offering a range of worship services via our computers and telephones.  We are also ramping up our lines of communication and connection to those on our parish lists, especially to those who would be most vulnerable to the virus’s effects if they were to venture into public places.  It has been enormously heartening to see how our clergy and lay leaders are demonstrating their love for God’s people in creative ways they hardly imagined before the present crisis.  The signs of the Church’s resilience and vitality are beyond measure, and I cannot thank you, or God, enough.

May God continue to show us signs of love and healing grace, protect those who are keeping us supplied with our necessities, and bless and encourage those who are working so hard to bring health to the afflicted.

Faithfully and Gratefully Yours,

Bishop Rob
The Rt. Rev. Robert Hirschfeld

Pastoral Letter from Bishop Rob Hirschfeld on Life and Worship During the COVID-19 Epidemic

This letter has been updated with most current information 3-27-2020. 

March 24, 2020

Dear Clergy and Pastoral Leaders in the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire,

It is clear now that the congregations in the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire, like many of those throughout the world, will be unable to assemble in person for our usual solemn and joyous celebrations of Holy Week and Easter. Efforts to stem the pandemic of the potentially devastating COVID-19 require each of our households to practice physical distancing, to refrain from gathering in groups of any size and to remain at home.

This is a time like no other in our lifetimes. It is also a time that bears close similarities to others in our spiritual heritage. In ancient times, our Jewish forebears were carried away by a Babylonian king and forced to adapt and practice their customs in a foreign land. These were times of profound community loss and lament, but also times when our forebears were drawn to sustain their bonds of community in new and creative ways. The great laments of the Psalms (interestingly rarely recited in our Sunday cycles of readings) allowed God’s people to “go deep” in their relationship with God and each other, speaking uncomfortable truths, and giving voice to dreams and longings to return.

I believe our present circumstances bear some resemblance to the exiles of our spiritual forebears. We are not able to come together. We cannot share our most sacred sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist. Our quarantines can make us isolated and thus more at risk of despair or engaging in practices, addictions, sins, and violences of word and action that can harm our souls and bodies and those of our cherished ones.

However, being in exile, acknowledging this time, can be a deeply rich and especially healthy way for our community to grow and deepen our relationship with God. We have noticed how we are praying together in ways, and in actual numbers, that seemed impossible even as recently as this last Christmas. Clearly, God’s Spirit, even in the midst of this crisis, is active, alive, engaged, and very present!   

This is a time for us to humbly acknowledge, not to deny, but to receive the truth that is being revealed to us in this time, even in miraculous ways. It is not a time, even in Easter, to celebrate the Eucharist virtually, or remotely, or vicariously, in any way. Such a practice would be a denial and even a way to “bargain” our way out of the drastic and pivotal moment we are in. Holy Communion in the bread and wine requires our physical presence. Thus, to celebrate communion without a physically gathered community violates the meaning of that most holy rite and denies what is actually happening. Yes, it is painfully difficult not to receive the Body and Blood the Christ’s risen body at this time. This is the pain of Exile to which we are now called in order to experience God’s presence in ways we have not yet.

But we still need to eat and come together, even in our separation, to hear how God’s Word "is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.” (Deuteronomy 30:14).  During this exile, I recommend to you the practice of an Agape Meal or Love Feast. Customarily shared on Maundy Thursday in households that cannot make it to a church, this might be something we share together—with physical distance— this Maundy Thursday 2020 and then offered weekly throughout this time, perhaps even after. You will find suggested liturgies for a Maundy Thursday Agape meal, as well as a simple Love Feast liturgy you could do weekly, in the links below.

I will be offering a simple Liturgy of the Word and Prayer service this Sunday, Palm Sunday and Easter at 10:00 am via Zoom. The link to join is here: https://zoom.us/j/971001199. You may share your intercessions and thanksgivings via the “chat” function during the live service. To join by phone (audio only), dial 1-929-205-6099, Webinar ID: 971-001-199.  This service will be recorded and posted on the website (https://www.nhepiscopal.org/worship-liturgy) immediately following the service for viewing at anytime.  You and your congregations can join to read, reflect, and pray together either as a complement to a service you have organized or as your main Sunday service.

During Holy Week, we can lean into the broad offerings of our wider diocesan community and beyond, as well as encourage our people to worship at home. While our clergy and lay leaders are working even more strenuously to maintain connection with those at risk of isolation and to strengthen our church communities, online worship all together can dissolve the boundaries between us and at home worship can draw us closer to God and to our families. Each church community and each individual member can find freedom in simple worship and spiritual practices, as we offer the gifts and resources that we have and also rely on the offerings of others.  I will be offering a simple, short worship opportunity on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil.  The information will be on the website, (https://www.nhepiscopalorg/worship-liturgy) .

Knowing that not everyone has access to online worship, here are some suggestions and resources for Holy Week with options for both household worship and online worship (and we will be launching a liturgical resources page on the website to which more may be added):

Encourage our people to set up sacred spaces at home – here are some ideas. A comprehensive guide to celebrating all three days of the Triduum at home can be found HERE. This offering, from Resurrection Lutheran Church, is given freely for your use and adaptation.

Palm Sunday: In the interest of simplifying, let’s allow Palm Sunday to be Palm Sunday and not read the Passion in the same service. We can focus on the reading of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus Matthew 21:1-21, saving Matthew’s Passion for Good Friday. On their own, households can be encouraged simply to cut pine branches instead of palm fronds and have a procession around their home, offering the Blessing of a Home adapted from the Book of Occasional Services (pages 156-165, stopping at the Peace). For our reflection: How are we welcoming the Messiah into our communities and hearts in this time?

Maundy Thursday: Encourage our households to celebrate a special meal, which could be a Maundy Thursday Agape Meal. VTS has offered this adaptation of the Maundy Thursday agape meal (from page 84 of the Book of Occasional Services) echoing our longing for Eucharist. Washing feet and hands (particularly symbolic in this time) of those in our households as Christ washes and serves us. A prayer for handwashing is HERE. Our friends in the Diocese of Maine are also offering a Love Feast liturgy for use each week during this time HERE. Households can do this on their own or congregations can join to do this together through Zoom. For our reflection: How does our experience of exile help us live into our call to serve the world?

Good Friday: At this time, I am aware that St. Andrew’s, New London and St. Paul’s Concord will offer Good Friday vigils. We will have links to their services, and others (please send them) on our website. An adapted version of the Solemn Collects for Good Friday is HERE. Resources for observing Stations of the Cross at home or online are HERE.  For our reflection: What does the body of Christ, broken for us, mean in this time?

Easter Vigil: I will offer a simple Easter Vigil service online, with the Lighting of the new Paschal Fire, from an outdoor site near my home. Time and details for joining will be available on the website. For churches who may also host a service, adaptations to the Easter Vigil service offered by VTS are HERE. For our reflection: Where are you seeing new life in this time? What is giving life to our congregations?

Easter Morning: Since we will have already welcomed Easter during the vigil, I encourage you to celebrate it joyously and informally on Sunday morning. Encourage folks to take chalk and write your alleluias on your sidewalks (starting a trend: #sidewalkalleluias). Dress up, wear your hats, share a special meal, develop a phone tree to say “Christ is Risen” to each other, and join the wider church in watching Bishop Curry or other large services online.  I will offer a morning 10:00 am service.  Again, the information will be on the website.

In all things, this is a time for tenderness and for simplicity and not for strenuous heroics or over-functioning. It is a time to hear anew the word of God that came to the exiles through the voice of the Prophet Isaiah:

Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:1-5)

It is not too early to dream and imagine what our return from this exile will be like. What will the first Sunday be like, a day when we celebrate the Resurrection with an especially robust joy? What will that Sunday of Resurrection and Return be like? How will we give voice to our gratitude and joy on that day? As the exiles were sustained by imagining what their return to Jerusalem would be like, so are we encouraged to dream of our restoration:

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, then we were like those who dream.

Gratefully Yours in Christ,

+Rob

Pastoral Directive: A Bishop’s Call to a Lenten Fast from Public Worship

March 13, 2020

To see a video statement from Bishop Hirschfeld, click HERE.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today, after consulting with clergy, lay leaders, public health officials and fellow bishops, I ask that each of our congregations set aside this coming Sunday as a Day of Preparation for a Fast from physically gathered, large group worship until April 5, the Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday. We pray that this time of abstaining from public worship will not extend beyond this, but the circumstances relating to the COVID-19 outbreak may dictate otherwise.

The power of Christianity is found in its astonishing capacity to turn the worse news into Good News.  This is the message of the Cross after all: a means of humiliation, degradation and death becomes the means of Life.  Now, even as we contemplate and prepare for a time of physical distance, I am now convinced that it is for such a time as this that all of our talk in the past years about how we can actually be the Body of Christ in the world can happen in even more liberating and healthful ways.  Now is an urgent time when we, instead of looking out only for ourselves alone, can reach out in love, albeit by phone or digitally, or in small and hygienic groups with news of faith, hope and love and with spiritual companionship. 

As an Episcopal bishop, I cannot supersede the canonical authority a local rector may have making available the sacraments and worship of the Church.  However, our canons clearly did not foresee the public health emergency we now face.  What seemed even a week ago as a safe distance between those who have been infected by the COVID-19 virus and our own population is now rapidly shrinking.  Therefore, I am calling upon us to act in solidarity with one another to suspend our in-person public worship, beginning the week of March 16th.  

I sincerely and faithfully urge us all to see this peculiar time not as a catastrophe that instills fear,  suspicion or shame among us, but as a spiritual fast and a civic duty, the reclaiming of a venerable and powerful spiritual tradition through which, like Jesus in the wilderness, we are called to renew our trust and our awareness of how God is blessing us, yes, blessing us, in this season of abstinence from physical touch and even, for a time, from corporate public worship. I believe that the church’s ongoing work to be reinvented, strengthened and renewed will be accelerated and deepened during this time.  Heartily, I pray that we can share an Easter Communion like none other we have experienced in our lifetimes, when we can come together after the wave of infection passes. 

There is precedence for this. In November 1940, St. Michael’s Cathedral in Coventry, England was destroyed by bombing during the German bombing invasion. Suddenly finding itself without its historic gothic building, the congregation formed small ‘foyer’ groups in their homes to continue to pray and care for one another.  The Fellowship of Reconciliation, an international movement of peace and forgiveness, remains a tribute to the power of God’s love to turn horrible adversity into Gospel life.

It is now incumbent upon us to show Christ’s love and compassion for our neighbor and ourselves by practicing physical distancing (a preferable phrase to “social distancing” we’ve heard so much about.)  Such respect for our physical space to lessen infection is how we can display our love for one another, even as we are bound together in the Body of Christ.

This Sunday, I urge our congregations to offer special prayers as we prepare for a suspension of public worship until at least April 5.  If you have not already done so, please use the coming Sunday and the days after to create phone trees and form prayer partners by which you can stay in closer touch during this time.  As we are being strongly discouraged by health officials to assemble in larger groups, let us be creative about forming smaller groups that allow sufficient physical space between you (the doctors recommend 4-6 feet or two arm spans), share bible readings and prayers. We can make good use of technology such as Zoom. Some congregations have excellent live-streaming of their worship services and we will list the links on the diocesan webpage dedicated to the Church’s response to this health crisis: (www. nhepiscopal.org/covid19).  

I plan to stream worship services from here, our humble Chapel of All Angels in Diocesan House, beginning next week. We will need to make new provisions for those who have limited or no access to digital technology so that our siblings in Christ will not find themselves more isolated in this time. You can expect more updates and sharing as we journey together in this unusual Lenten period, a Lent that will lead us, God willing, to a glorious celebration of praise and thanksgiving for our Lord’s emergence from the tomb on Easter Morning!  Of course, we cannot predict when this current crisis will abate, but this is my prayer today.

In the meantime, I close with my usual blessing, a blessing that seems even more apt now than at any time before. 

Live without fear.
Your Creator has made you holy,
has always protected you
and loves you with a power and a presence
that is stronger than death.
And the blessing of Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be among us now, this day,
and forever more.

Faithfully Yours in the Risen Christ,
Bishop A. Robert Hirschfeld
New Hampshire

Bishop Rob Issues Pastoral Directive Regarding COVID-19

Dear Friends in Christ:

This is an update to the communication that was sent on February 27, 2020, concerning recommended precautions that our parishes should follow to prevent the spread of the coronavirus known as COVID-19.

Since that letter, it has become clear that our nation has moved to a new phase in addressing this highly transmissible virus. Above all, I am concerned for the health of our worshippers and to alleviate the increasing anxiety around the practice that is held dearest to us — the ongoing means of participating in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: Holy Communion.

Out of an abundance of caution I have issued the following Pastoral Directive to clergy and lay pastoral leaders throughout the diocese on our behalf:

1. If any church member, including clergy, is feeling ill or shows any symptoms of fever, sneezing, coughing or difficulty breathing, please stay home until you contact your primary care physician. Please reach out to parishioners to let them know that if they cannot attend church, or are uncomfortable attending church, we can provide prayers, meals, and other supports.

2. Beginning immediately, only the consecrated bread of the Eucharist is to be distributed. A small amount of wine will be consecrated, but in solidarity with all who are vulnerable to COVID-19, we will all — clergy and laity alike — abstain from consuming the wine. Pour what is consecrated into a piscina or directly on the ground. 

3. Offer each other the Peace with respectful acknowledgment but with no physical contact. Refrain from handshaking, hugging and other contact. Bowing to each other, friendly waves, and peace signs are all perfectly acceptable substitutes.

4. Any baptismal font that contains standing water is to be drained, thoroughly sanitized, and left empty. 

In addition, I have also urged clergy to refrain from distributing homemade bread for communion, but to use packaged wafers. This practice will help those who distribute communion from handling the bread any more than is necessary during the sharing of the sacrament.

These new protocols, shared with many of our sibling churches throughout the Episcopal Church and other liturgical denominations are temporary and are to remain in place until this current health crisis has passed. Though they can be seen as a bothersome change, I believe these practices can also provide us a way to live in sacred solidarity with those who are now living with restrictions, even quarantine or hospitalization. We are in this together, in this life together, as part of a human family. I would also remind and reassure our worshippers that Communion by one element, by bread alone, allows us to receive the full spiritual benefits of our Lord’s Passion and Resurrection.

Thank you for your attention to these time-limited pastoral changes in our liturgical practice in the Episcopal Church in New Hampshire. I am deeply grateful for the care and concern that you are showing to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, especially to the most vulnerable among us, the elderly and those with weakened immunities. 

Please feel free to contact my office if you have any questions or concerns.

Faithfully Yours in the Great Physician, Jesus Christ,
The Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld
Bishop

In the News: Series on ‘The Stories We Tell’ begins March 1

As reported in SeacoastOnline.com: St. John’s Episcopal Church, Portsmouth, will be hosting six Sunday evening programs during Lent. “The Stories We Tell” will feature a different presentation each evening, followed by discussion, dinner and compline in the church sung by the Compline Choir. The series will begin Sunday, March 1 at 5 p.m. with “Why Our Stories Matter” with Rev. Nathaniel Bourne…

In the News: “Episcopal church transforms sanctuary into immigrant-focused art gallery.”

As reported in the Union Leader: A new art exhibit showcasing the immigrant experience goes on display at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Londonderry tonight. “We’re turning the church into an art gallery,” said the Rev. Colin Chapman.

The exhibit, entitled “Our Neighbors, Ourselves,” is part of a string of programs designed to draw attention to the state of immigration in New Hampshire and nationwide, Chapman said. The spark for the idea came last summer from Chapman and seminarian Kathy Boss, who were inspired in part by some of the news stories about family separation at the southern border the year prior…

Episcopal Church of NH Supports Berlin Kids’ Hockey Program with Our Kids Commission Grant

St. Barnabas Berlin, NH, recently received a grant from the Our Kids Commission of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire in the amount of $3,500 in support of the Berlin Recreation Hockey Development Program.

In 2016, Bishop Rob Hirschfeld convened Our Kids Commission to lead the church in learning about, and addressing, the opportunity gap facing low-income and vulnerable children in New Hampshire. The Commission was charged “…to find and serve the Child Jesus in our communities by helping congregations move away from asking ‘how can we get more young people from our community in the doors of our church?’ to ‘how can we go out the doors of our church to serve the needs of young people in our communities?’”

When an article appeared in Berlin’s newspaper announcing the hockey program, it reported that the cost would be $200 per child, excluding equipment. This cost also meant that it excluded many children.

St. Barnabas recognized this program as an opportunity to join with many others in Berlin who care about their youth, including Terry Letarte, Director of the Berlin Recreation Department,  Mike Chabot of Gorham Hardware and Sports Center, Tammy Fauteux, Principal of Hillside Elementary School, and many volunteer hockey coaches and parents who have been going out of their way to make sure that every child who wishes has the opportunity to get on the ice and be part of a team.

Funds from the Our Kids Commission grant have been used to purchase the equipment necessary to outfit the children — typically totaling upwards of $250 per child for used equipment. The hockey gear  will stay in the program and be used again for many years. The remaining funds will go to the Berlin Recreation Department to offset the $200 per child registration fee for kids in need. 

“This has been a great learning experience for our church community,” said the Rector of St. Barnabas, the Rev. Betsy Hess. “We need to act on our faith, for our own sake as well as those we serve. When we connect with others, we connect more closely with God. When a church, a city, a local business, and a school work together to support our youth, great things can happen.”

Bishop Rob's Epiphany 2020 Letter

Ever since I was a small child, I’ve always lamented the day when the Christmas tree came down and the colored and white lights that glowed off the snow outside were shut off. My earliest years were in the cold and snowy towns of Minnesota, and somehow my soul attached the meaning of Christmas with these lights that shone in that deep darkness with the mystery of Jesus coming to be with us in our complicated world.

As I write this we are moving from the bright, festive lights of Christmas decoration to the more contemplative season of Epiphany, a word which means “revelation” or “manifestation,” or more simply, “showing.” The Magi, having been guided by a great light to pay a visit of respect and adoration to the Son of God in the Baby Jesus, return to their own realms without that light. A friend and poet, Christine Hemp, suggests that the Magi didn’t even have the benefit of the old constellations to guide them home, so radically does the Christ child’s birth change the universe:

Everything was
different: constellations no longer

pointed out the path. We gave up gazing
at the stars for answers. We were haunted
by a fitful flame wavering inside us.

“We asked for signs and followed what we saw,” Christine Hemp

So, the Christmas trees are on the curb or on a brush pile and the lights are slowly being extinguished. And who could blame us, in this time of political uncertainty — and even rumors of yet more war — if we didn’t feel some anxiety, fatigue, disorientation, even exasperation in gazing up at the stars for answers.

But the mystery and wonder are that in each of us light has dawned. We get to pray to the Christ who seeks to dwell within and among us. We get to look to each other in our communities of faith for that hope and courage. The light is no longer merely beyond us out there, but in our hearts. As those sentimental strings of light glowed on the snows, now the light of Christ glows in our prayers, in the words and gestures we exchange with one another, in our acts of kindness, generosity, and concern. These are ways that allow the light of Epiphany to be revealed and manifested. As the great Prologue of the Gospel of John proclaims:

What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (John 1:3b-5)

The Rev. Jay Sidebotham, the designer of the “RenewalWorks” program that has enriched so many of our congregations in recent years, has observed how an organization, a congregation, or a community will adopt some of the core characteristics of the heart of its leader. Recently I asked a presidential candidate what is in his heart and what aspects of this soul will help our nation heal and flourish. Of course, I have to ask the same question of myself, as every priest, deacon, or lay leader has a powerful effect on the whole local expression of the Body of Christ. How might you respond? Are you guided by the light of Christ, now drawn so close to us in Jesus?  My prayer for all of our presidential candidates and more importantly for us all as the members of the Church of New Hampshire is that we, like the Magi, search for and pay homage to the light of Christ in our hearts. This is the light that can drive away all that may prevent us from sharing God’s mending love to the world.

So, let the lights come down from our trees and houses. And instead, may the light in our hearts shine forth with unconquerable faith, hope, and love.

Faithfully Yours in Christ’s Light,

+Rob
The Rt. Rev. Robert Hirschfeld

A Christmas Message from Bishop Rob

“For many years our family has had this image of Christmas on our walls. It's a simple painted woodcut that shows three figures, Mary, a donkey, and the child Jesus in a manger. There's nothing different about these characters. We expect to see them this time of year as we observe the holy birth of the Christ child in the humble setting of a stable. But I've always been struck by the word that the artist has chosen to lift up and proclaim...WITH..." Click here to watch Bishop Rob's Christmas message.

Wishes for a blessed and holy Christmas and a happy New Year!

In the News: "Episcopal Mission of Franklin enjoying a rebirth"

As reported in the Union Leader: Standing in the sanctuary at the Episcopal Mission of Franklin, the Rev. Kate Harmon Siberine recounts how a few months ago the building had been closed — doors locked, the structure empty. But like the city it calls home, the church is enjoying a rebirth and has again become a place for people to gather, worship and foster a Christian community. “This building has always been about feeding people — body and spirit,” Harmon Siberine said…

Tucked In: Bishop Rob Reads The Donkey's Dream

During Advent, Bishop Rob participated in “Tucked In: Bedtime Stories and Prayers with Episcopalians and Others.” The Bishop read one of his favorite children’s Christmas stories, “The Donkey’s Dream.” On Tucked In, families can enjoy readings of the Bible and other stories, plus short bedtime prayers. Videos are live streamed each Wednesday evening, but can be viewed at any time HERE..