Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
’Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
’Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come ’round right.
— 1848, Elder Joseph Brackett of Alfred Shaker Village

Oh, sure, we are all being forced to employ technology in new and expanded ways, these days. Yet, our technology as always, is simply a tool used to complete our work and achieve our goals.

And our goals have become more simple lately, haven’t they? Things we have taken for granted have become rare, or even scarce. Work and workers we once saw a mundane have now become essential. With challenges to the supply line, some of the more esoteric and fancy items we purchase, such as vegetables and cuts of meat are hard to come by, so we rely on those  more familiar, ordinary, simple-to-cook. The only fashion statements we make are the designs of our face masks.

We long for the ability to touch and embrace again. To meet face-to-face. To feel the presence and hear the voice of the person next to us in church as we sing and pray together.

We find strength and hope in moving on with our lives in the simple, quotidian tasks of life. Many of us are taking the opportunity to catch up on work we have long-ignored. Keeping the house clean isn’t just a matter of protecting ourselves from the virus, but of engaging with, and giving thanks for, that which remains in our lives.

We engage even more with the people closest to us.  Our children are receiving more than the usual attention, are they not? And we connect with friends as never before (though we have turned to physically distanced means). We have been turning to God more in our prayer life as well, yes?

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”
— Colossians 3:23 NLT

Thank you, O God, for being there when we turn back to you. Help us, in this time of crisis, to re-turn to the simple gifts of life. Help us to know and show the basic truth of your love and grace. Come, Holy Spirit. Amen

(I commend to your reading “The Quotidian Mysteries” by Kathleen Norris)

Pastor George

“Strength and dignity are her clothing,
   and she laughs at the time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
   and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household,
   and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her happy;
   her spouse too, who praises her:
‘Many women have done excellently,
   but you surpass them all.’
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
   but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
Proverbs 31:25-30

[There are all kinds of people in the world, and a wide diversity of relationships. God has created us, blesses us, and knows us as individuals. We can celebrate some without denigrating others. This week we have celebrated health care workers, teachers, and military spouses. This weekend we celebrate mothers. What if we spent all of our time looking for things to celebrate in each person?!]

“What are those?” I asked the air as Bugs Bunny pulled out a sheet of what looked like tickets.
“Ration coupons,” my mother replied as she passed through the living room.
“Huh?”
“Hold on.” She turned around and went to the hall closet. When she returned she was kind enough to wait until the next commercial break. Then she pulled out a sheet of stamps, each one bearing the word “Coffee.” “During the war this is how we got the basics. Many things were rationed, and you got your share by tearing off this coupon. We used up all of our ration coupons except for coffee.”

Thus began a long discussion of the Great Depression, World War II, and how people coped.

Reflecting on my mother this week, I realized that she would have rocked this pandemic. I am certain that she would have, as author of wisdom here writes, “laugh[ed] at the time to come.” I can hear her chuckling, “Oh you think this is bad?!”

Mom recycled before it was a thing, made or patched our clothing, and could stretch proteins to the max. (I feel her approving glance as I turn the carcass of a chicken into soup stock). She could make a game out of mundane work, and knew how to entertain herself – and us – without the benefit of the internet. She wasn’t perfect, and she struggled with clinical depression. But her experience as a child of the Great Depression allowed her to meet every challenge with strength and dignity.

I imagine you can think of someone who would have been able to thrive in this time. Let their memory bring you guidance, hope, strength and peace. Or maybe you will be that person for another. Or perhaps, just maybe, this time in the crucible will give you a new perspective on all that may come, and in some future day you will be able to say, “This is how we made it through….”

Thank you, God, for fierce mothers! Thank you for their tenacity, grit, humor, patience, strength, and abiding hope. Help us to understand that this comes from the example of your fierce love for us. When we are afraid or without hope, rock us in your arms. When we are off course, nudge us back on to the path. When we would harm another, stand in the gap and tell us to change our ways. We are so blessed to be your children. We pray this in the name of your child, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

Pastor George

One of the things that I have been able to enjoy a little bit more lately is watching birds in my backyard.  I have planted flowers that attract birds, butterflies, and bees. We also have a hummingbird feeder, fountain, birdbath, and a seed birdfeeder.  Our backyard can have a lot of “wildlife” sometimes.  Watching the birds hang around our yard can lift me up and calms my soul. Lately when I am out bird watching I think of the hymn “His Eye is on the Sparrow”
“Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely
and long for heaven and home?
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant friend is he;
His eye is on the sparrow,
and I know he watches me.”

I decided to look up some history about this popular hymn and I would like to share it with you.  It was written by Civilla Marten in 1905. It was inspired by friends of hers and her husband, Mr. & Mrs. Doolittle who had been bedridden for over twenty years.  This couple brought inspiration and comfort to those who knew them and when asked they said that the secret of hopefulness was found in knowing “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me”.

Matthew 10:29-31
²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. ³⁰ But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

The faith of this bedridden couple inspired her to write the poem and she mailed it to a famous composer of gospel tunes, Charles Gabriel, who wrote the tune and the rest, as they say, is history.
Just singing this tune in my head and heart cheers me up.  Knowing that God walks with me during this time and is there to hear my complaining, my frustration and is there to lean on helps me to work through my complaining and see the blessings that we have all around us.  The sunshine, cool breezes, flowers, birds, friends, and family.  Knowing that God cares for sparrows and cares even more for us makes me feel better.

Jesus asks us to live a life of faith that inspires.  How are you inspiring others?

Gracious and Loving God, thank you for surrounding us with your love and care. Help us to know in our hearts and minds that you are with us, that you will see us through these difficult times.  Help us have the courage to inspire others by our thoughts, words, and deeds.  Give strength to those who are working so hard on the front lines and to those whose are helping by staying home.  Amen

Stay safe and keep connected.

God Bless, Suzanne

The other day I saw a picture on Facebook that I found myself going back to a few times. It was a stunning show of how loving and compassionate God’s creatures are. In this picture, there was a bird’s nest, the kind that look like a hollowed out gourd with the opening at the bottom of the nest. The baby bird apparently had slipped out of the nest, it’s wings were too tiny to allow it to fly to safety yet; so as it was falling out of the nest, the mama bird caught it by her beak with her talons dug in and holding on to the nest as she was holding on to her baby. The daddy bird was there beneath the baby and actually pushing the baby bird back up into the nest. You might have seen it too! As I was studying this image, I thought how amazing that these tiny creatures would know what to do instinctively to keep their precious baby from harm.

This whole scenario and imagery in this one picture caused me to pause and take note of the many times through my life that God has reached out and grabbed hold of me and placed me back in his safe and tender care. There are moments that are as vivid as yesterday, and there are a multitude of times, I’m certain, that I am utterly unaware of. I have seen and experienced God’s loving mercies throughout my life and I believe God is there for all of humanity no matter the situation. In small moments of our life or pandemic size moments, God is always Emmanuel, God with us.

May these familiar words from Isaiah, be your prayer, and know that you are God’s beloved.

Isaiah 43:1a -3a

43 Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Blessings,

Brenda

As the Israelites spent those forty years wandering in the desert, they did their share of whining and complaining.  They complained of hunger and God provided manna for them to eat. 

But the Israelites cried again and said, Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish we ate in Egypt for free, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. Now our lives are wasting away. There is nothing but manna in front of us.   Numbers 11:4-6 

The Israelites were in the wilderness somewhere between Egypt and the Promised Land after Moses had freed them from slavery. These times were tough and the Israelites did a lot of complaining. Through the whining the Israelites could not see the beauty of the manna.  They could not see that God had provided for them. They only could see how it used to be.  

We like the Israelites are also in the wilderness. Somewhere between the “old norm” and the “new norm”.  We too have voiced our complaints of being stuck in our homes, wanting human,  face-to-face contact. We have complained how our glasses fog up when we wear our masks.  We cannot go to our beaches, parks, or our favorite restaurants. 

The familiarity of the “old norm” brings us comfort, so it makes sense that we look to the past. But looking to the past can hinder our ability to find the “manna” that God is providing for us in the now.  Where is the “manna” that God has provided for you?  For me it was working with my compost and marveling at the wonder of how vegetable scraps can decompose into fertile soil.  I found the “manna” in the collaboration at our staff meeting.  The “manna” was the song that was sung at the SSP town hall meeting I attended today, and it is knowing that I have enough food in my cupboards that I will be able to eat a meal this evening with people that I love. 

We all complain sometimes and are missing our meats, cucumbers and melons but perhaps we can challenge ourselves to stay in the present and look for the “manna” that God has provided for each of us.  I wonder what your “manna” is?

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

Gracious and generous God, you know our needs and you provide for us. Even when we don’t notice all that you have given us and we forget to say thank you, you continue to provide for us.  Thank you for the birds that sing, the sun that shines, the friends that surround us, the many scientists who are working to keep us safe and your constant unwavering love. You have truly blessed us.  Amen.

Marty