Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.—Psalm 96:11-12

As this pandemic drags on and the novelty wears off, it is easy to get stuck on the difficulties, inconveniences and struggles that have come with the onset of COVID-19; but God has been with us and working through us in all of this.  One blessing to arise has been the much-needed break we have given to our Mother Earth, our home gifted to us by our Creator. Her wish has been for us to slow down to smell the salty ocean air, to feel the wind blowing through the trees, to listen to the birds talking to one another, to taste the sweetness of fruit and to see the wondrous creations all around us.

The irony is that we have been aware for at least fifty years that we have needed to slow down and care for our Earth, yet we haven’t done it. Now through this forced time of stillness we can see first-hand the impact of our behaviors and actions. On this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, her birthday wish has finally been heard; but it has taken a pandemic for us to notice. With the stay at home orders in place, our skies are a brilliant clear blue again. Our waters are running clean. We are taking advantage of local farms. Our national parks are gaining balance again in the ecosystems that are unique to each one.  Our Creator and Mother Earth are smiling.

When the time comes and our stay at home orders are lessened, I wonder if we will go back to the way we have always done it or if we will make the pivot that our Earth greatly needs. I wonder if we will choose to buy from our local farmers.  I wonder if we will continue to choose to drive less and take more walks. Most of all I wonder if we will become the stewards of God’s creation that we have been called to be.

As we have seen first-hand, the whole world working together really can make a radical difference and is the best gift we can give our Earth and the best way that we can honor our Creator God.

Creator God, we thank you for all of creation. We ask your forgiveness where we have failed to be just stewards and ask for your help in keeping sight of the lessons we’ve learned during this pandemic. We ask for your guidance in restoring the face of the earth even as we seek balance while moving back into new patterns of normal. May we learn to live in harmony, safety and just sharing of resources among all so that we achieve the kingdom of God.

Peace be to this community. Peace be to this land. Peace be to all people. Amen.

Prayer adapted from the Catholic Health Association 

Blessings,
Marty

We awoke Friday to news that the stock market was soaring.One stock in particular was leading the way. A physician shared preliminarynews on Thursday that Remdesivir, a drug made by Gilead Sciences had shown somepromise in treating COVID-19 in a clinical trial through the University ofChicago Medical Center. Investors were ecstatic, and the headlines blazed.

Of course by mid-morning a more sober series of stories were printed, reminding the readers that this was partial news of one study, in one hospital, with a small group of selected patients, and without a control group for comparison.

We are looking for the end of this crisis. We are looking for the curve to flatten, and for the number of deaths each day to decrease. We understand that those points of data will not announce an immediate return to the way things were, but we see them as a sign. A sign perhaps of what Winston Churchill said early in World War II: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

We know that a vaccine is a long ways off, and can’t imagine living like this for the time it will take for that to come. So now we are praying for some miracle treatment or cure. And there are hundreds of studies going on right now to find effective treatments or cures. I suspect that news like that shared last week will become more and more common in the days and weeks ahead. One of these, I pray, will actually be proven, in time, to be true!

That makes this a very dangerous time. It is our nature to look for an easy answer, a quick cure, some way for us to get out of the messes of our lives. In a time of crisis we will be tempted to follow anyone who promises what we so desperately want to hear. The problem is that so many of these hopes, so many of these prophets, will turn out to be false. And when we follow them, or allow ourselves to put trust in them, we fall into even greater despair when they do not live up to their promise.

This is exactly what Jesus warns the disciples (and us) about regarding “The End Times” and his return in glory:

When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, “I am the Messiah!” and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. (Matthew 24:3-6)

Jesus doesn’t tell us to be without hope. In fact he tells us to anticipate the goodness of God (“be watchful” is the translation of the term he uses). He helps us to know that the end will come, but it won’t be on our timeline, or even His! He offers us the comfort and resilience of a deep and abiding faith: a confidence that God is at work even now, which allows us to weather the highs and lows of the news cycle.

So let us celebrate the fact that so many are at work to find a cure, to find an effective treatment, to find a vaccine. Let us celebrate and honor those who are working so hard to care for those who are ill. Let us mourn with those who have lost loved ones. Let us continue to reach out in all the ways we appropriately can, to care for those in need in this time of crisis. And let us continue to do our part to keep bending the curve.

God, we thank you for the resilience of faith. Keep us strong even when we feel that all is lost or when our hopes are dashed. Temper our rush to judgement, whether that be to vilify or unduly worship. Let us laugh with those who celebrate and cry with those who mourn, knowing that you alone are our source and our end. We pray this in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Pastor George

1 Corinthians 13 New International Version (NIV)

13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

This well known scripture is usually read at weddings and sometimes at memorial services.  Paul wrote it to help teach the people of Corinth how we should act as Christians.  Now that we are well into our social isolation, quarantine, or whatever you want to call it, patience can be running a little thin.  The novelty has run out and we are getting more anxious about when this pandemic will be over and when we can return to “normalcy”.  We are not necessarily our best selves right now.  Things that didn’t bother us before can really irritate us, and sometimes our frustration at what is going on the world around us comes out in ways we are not expecting.  We can be short tempered with the ones that we love the most and are around the most.

One study technique that I learned with this scripture really helped me to understand what Paul was saying in a very personal way. I want to share it with you because I found it very powerful in my faith journey.

Replace the subject from verses 4 – 11 with your name. Like this:

Suzanne is patient, Suzanne is kind. Suzanne does not envy; she does not boast.

Looking at the scripture this way makes it very personal.  We all need to remember to show grace, including to ourselves during these stressful and anxious times.

Everyone is thrown off their routines and nobody likes to be stuck inside.  One way to help with our mental and emotional health is to live out our lives in the manner that the Apostle Paul was talking about.  How can you be kind and hopeful?  How can help others to persevere?  In these times we need to rely on our relationship with God and each other even more than when everything is going well.

Connect, be supportive and give others and yourself grace.  We will get through this.  God can create something beautiful out of this mess and in fact, already is. Neighbors are getting to know each other, and communities are forming where there were none before.  We all have our days when we grieve and that is normal. Know that God is with you and that we will get through this with our faith.

Grace & Peace, Suzanne

Dear Friends,

Today I struggle to find anything of any importance of my own thoughts to share with you. 

What I know without any doubt is that we are Resurrection People and live in the light, mercy and grace of God’s love forever and always!

I follow many devotionals and this one was from the other day. So as we continue to show love and mercy by staying home may this speak to you, may it bring you comfort and rest as it has me. This is written by Pamela Steinke – Easter Practice.

“Bring your scattered thoughts to Me, my child. Lay them outbefore Me. Let the wind take them, blow them away! Don’t try to catch them, or gather them up again – let them just go. Then stay here with Me in this precious moment. Look around you. See what is here. Feel the air on your skin. Breathe. Be. 

You get so caught up; you live too much in your head. Rest now, unburdened, untangled. What do you see, what do you smell, what do you feel, what do you hear? I put you in a body for a reason. Let it anchor you, bring you back to here and now….and to Me.” 

Gentle and Loving God, allow our minds and restlessness settle in the comfort of knowing you are there at all times and in all ways. Gather our family and friends in the shelter and comfort of your loving mercy and bring the joy of life and resurrection to mind in all we do, all we see, and all we say. We pray all these things in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen.

Brenda