Grace to you and peace in this time of wonder, fear, crisis and opportunity!

This has been a time of surprises and upheaval. We have set and then changed plans over and over. We have heard about people infected by Coronavirus some famous, others just like us. We have seen the stock market fall, climb, crash, and rise up from the ashes. We have seen images and discovered for ourselves, shelves emptied of basic necessities of life and good hygiene. People are clearly hoarding based on fear of the unknown. Self-centeredness is the rule of the day.

And now we are being told not to gather in large groups or stand closer than 6 feet from others. Our kids will be at home for the next two weeks — and probably longer. A cough from a friend or family member makes us cringe. It is all so alarming! 

All events on campus are cancelled. No meetings or groups on campus for the foreseeable future. Grow Night class will be a watch party on Facebook. All Saturday worship has been cancelled. Sunday mornings will be streamed and recorded. The preschool is closed. The office will be open regular hours, but the office staff will remain in their offices.

And yet.

And yet I have seen over and over again in you, the people of this Community United Methodist Church, a different perspective. Time and time again, you have offered calm words and ideas to help others get through this. I must tell you, this has helped me to find perspective and peace.

One person has offered to help people learn how receive the live stream of our worship service, another has offered to help do grocery shopping for those secured in their homes. Kristen Luevanos has used her expertise with Google Forms to connect those who want to help with those who need help. The idea here is to draw on the resources of our community to help those in the community.

So here are a couple of links to help us make those connections:

If you need some help with technology, or want to offer help, click here.

If you need more general help, like with getting groceries; or if you would like to help others in this way, click here.

I ask that you all consider what you can do to open your hearts to others. I am certain you will find that in caring for others you will find peace in your soul.

And please pray. Pray for peace. pray for understanding and grace. Pray for strength for those who care for others. Pray for wisdom for the healers and researchers. Pray for cool heads and warm hearts in our elected leaders. Pray for patience in parents and creativity in kids. And sometimes, just be still and know that God is with us.

George