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

Lessons from a Climber

My youngest brother, Chris, has become a novice mountain climber. I’m not talking about a day hiker. I’m talking about a climber who climbs to the top of such peaks as Mt. Shasta, Mt Rainier, Mt. Baker in the US and Izta and Orizaba in Mexico. His climb to the top of Orizaba at 18,500 ft. elevation has been his greatest achievement to date.  He always goes in a group, which is led by experienced guides. On his excursion to the top of Mt. Rainer one of his guides was Lakpa Rita who is known in the mountaineering world as the “Best Sirdar in Khumbu” and is one of only a few Sherpas working as a fulltime mountain guide around the world.  While on this climb, Lakpa Rita gave my brother words to climb to “don’t out walk your wind”.  

We have been climbing up our own mountain as we as a nation battle the coronavirus. We have been staying at home for about 3 weeks now.  The computer screen has become our best friend. We use it to have work meetings. We go to school on a screen. We even have our friends “over” for dinner through the computer. We only make necessary trips to the grocery store and we wear masks when we go outside. We have done this to help our health care workers and we have done this to keep ourselves and others healthy.  We are seeing the benefits of social distancing and it is encouraging. However, I am beginning to sense a feeling of restlessness in me, the media, and conversations with my family and friends. 

When my brother is nearing the summit, he too gets restless and he must fight himself to stay steady, to keep to his plan.  This is not unlike where we are on our climb.  We are beginning to see a glimmer of light and that anticipation that it will get better. We can see the summit. We will need to fight our eagerness to move too quickly. We will need to stay steady, to persevere a little longer so we don’t out walk our wind. 

When the climber stands at the base of the mountain and looks to where they are headed, they can be overwhelmed.  The climber must look at the mountain and break it down into manageable chunks. We can learn from the climber. We may need to take it one day at a time and as it gets longer and steeper we may need to take it hour by hour. Our climb is long and hard, but we aren’t alone. God is with us every step of the way. Lean on God when the climb gets steep or when you get weary. Take one step in front of the other, breathe deeply letting the Spirit fill you with patience. Keep doing the good and when it’s time we will reach the summit together. 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Galatians 6:9

May you run and not be weary

May you heart be filled with song

And may the love of God continue

To give you hope and keep you strong

And may you run and not be weary

May your life be filled with joy

And may the road you travel always lead you home.

Handt Hanson and Paul Murakami

Marty

“Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but fearful of the [religious leaders], had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, ‘Peace to you.’ Then he showed them his hands and side.
   The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were exuberant. Jesus repeated his greeting: ‘Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.’
   Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. ‘Receive the Holy Spirit,’ he said, ‘If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?’”
   — John 20:19-23, The Message

By my reckoning, we have been sheltering-in-place to varying degrees for a month now. This morning many locales announced the extension of the stay at home orders through May 15 at the least.  So we are deep into this, and the end is not near.

You all have been outstanding in your response to this crisis. You have not only followed the guidance of our elected leaders, you have carried on as best as you can with dignity and grace. You have been amazingly generous, offering help, sharing your talents, and simply offering one another words of good cheer.

It has been, and it will be, tempting to lash out at times in fear and frustration. In parts of the nation we have already seen racially-based attacks, focusing on individuals who had nothing to do with the start or spread of this illness. We have seen plenty of examples of persons being highly critical or even publicly shaming others. Some folks seem to think that pointing out the wrongs of others counts as doing right. I am reminded of the words in the letter of James 1:20 “…for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.”

On the evening of that first Easter Sunday, Jesus met with the disciples. They were still sheltering-in-place in a house. His first words to them were words of assurance and encouragement: “Peace be with you.” In showing them his wounds, he not only proved who he was, but was also clear and honest with them about the reality of the situation. He wasn’t giving them a false hope. Instead, he gave them something to do. He invited them to be a part of his life-giving work. He calls them to share good news. He said “Just as the Father sent me, I send you” to do the same things he did in his ministry. You have the power to call people to accounts, but also to forgive sins!

We do want to hold ourselves and each other accountable for our behavior. This is our duty as citizens. Our call as believers is to do so in the way that Jesus did: by modeling that holiness, and by encouraging one another.  It is much more effective than simply judging others. I love the way that Eugene Peterson paraphrases this in The Message: “If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”

Loving God, we open ourselves to the power of your Holy Spirit, so that we may be channels of your abundant grace. Help us to know that in Christ we have both the authority to point out injustice and the ability to announce forgiveness. Let the Spirit encourage us to encourage others that we might indeed outdo one another in works of mercy. Love, and healing. This we pray in the name of the Risen Christ. Amen.

Pastor George

Waiting and Hope –  by Nuha Salibi
“In the world of the coronavirus we are waiting.  But waiting for what? … Our waiting has an intransitive feel.  ‘For what?’ is hard to answer.  For it to be over.  For those who are sick to recover.  For a magically resurrected economy.  For school to start and the multiplex to open.  For a paycheck once again.  Waiting to go back to where we were… We are waiting for a solution to the inexplicable.  We are waiting for deliverance from our vulnerability to nature, of course – and from death – but even more from our vulnerability to self–interest, lying, hoarding, and venality that make the pandemic even worse.  Which is to say, we want to be delivered from ourselves.” ( Richard Lischer, “Waiting for Good News”, Christian Century, April 8, 2020)

During this Paschal season, we are waiting as we are sheltering ourselves and self- isolating.  “The definition , per Dictionary.com, of ‘shelter’ in verb form is ‘to find a refuge.’  Further, Merriam- Webster defines refuge as ‘something to which one has recourse in difficulty.’ …During this crisis, the only thing to which I have ‘full recourse in difficulty,’ where I can truly shelter in place, is the inner spaces of my mind.  Sheltered in that place, I’m fortified by the stillness and can carry forward to outer circumstances calmer and with kindness and compassion.  To summarize another meme I read, we stay at home not from fear but from love.”( Valerie Woods , “Where I Found My True Shelter”, LA Times, April 4. 2020)

Having grown up in the Middle East, I have always felt that my home and my neighborhood are my ultimate shelters.  Congeniality and sociability are our lifelines and they are endemic in my upbringing whether in times of peace or war.  I was raised by a mother who was an extreme extrovert; our home was always open to friends and strangers.  My father, on the other hand, liked his privacy and I would hear him sometimes complain, ”Mary, why is our house like a hallway (or corridor as we would say it in Arabic) ?” as our doorbell was eternally ringing and our neighbors would be popping in at all hours to borrow a cup of sugar or just for coffee or tea.   For all that,  my dad still was a gracious host with young and old alike. 

Funnily enough, when I got married, I discovered that Raja was the exact copy of my mother with his many committee duties and his love of having people over all the time.  I used to think that he could not breathe without people around him.  During the civil war, our home was a meeting place for all our acquaintances and in the evenings, our neighbors would gather in our little living room to watch TV or play casse tête, a game a friend had taught us and which now I have totally forgotten.  Instead of the endless cups of coffee, I would make what we called white coffee, a drink that consisted of  water, sugar and orange blossom water instead of the coffee beans and offer cookies that we bought in large tin cans known as Marie biscuits.  On some evenings, it would get so late that Raja would jokingly announce to our guests that they were welcome to stay so long as they made sure they would turn off the lights and close our door when they left;  we would all laugh then since a few were already fast asleep on the couches.

Thus, when we settled in the U.S., the running joke every evening was when Raja would ask me, ”Shall I close the front door?” and my standard answer would be , ”Who do you think is coming over to visit?” That sense of isolation was the one thing Raja could not get used to although in no time, we did make quite a few friends and enjoyed their company whenever time would allow as we were both busy with our various jobs and responsibilities.  

Nowadays, in what someone has dubbed “the twilight zone”, as I and my shadow go around the house before I lock up cleaning all the surfaces I had touched during the day with a clorox disinfecting wipe –  from doorknobs to light switches, computer desk tops, iPads and pens, faucets, fridges, microwaves, and electric kettles, TV and radio remotes and everything else I can think of,  I thank God that I have a home to take refuge in and that I have e-mail, skype, and telephone to keep in touch with friends and loved ones around the world.  I say a prayer for all the people who are putting their lives on the line to keep us well fed, healthy, and as comfortable as is possible these days.  I thank God for my neighbor who knocked on my door to ask if I needed anything for him to bring me and my children who do all my shopping for me so that I can stay home because of my age.  I am thankful for my friends who responded so promptly by putting my granddaughter Rita on their prayer chains when she was diagnosed with COVID–19 symptoms.  Indeed, there are many heroes around us whom we cannot count but who are exposed day and night to respond to our various needs and keep us safe.

As we approach the various religious feasts this holy month – whether it be Easter, Passover or Ramadan – we will be celebrating virtually with loved ones through the various technological devices.  Those who are fortunate to be well and those who are suffering, those who live alone and those who live with family, those who are homeless and those who are grieving over loved ones  – we are all one family with lessons we need to learn to be able to share our humanity with each other.  When my younger daughter was born, it did not take us long to choose a name.  We had already named our first child Laila, which is an Arabic word meaning” night or dark beauty”; therefore, for our second child, we chose Samar, thinking about the Arabic expression “nightly evening conversation”  or “nightly social evenings”  in Arabic known as “layali as samar”,  and each of our girls in her own way epitomized those attributes that are the wellspring of our way of life and community ethos in our tradition and that of many others.   As Dr. Craig Spencer said: “We all need someone to lean on at home and at work” while we wait to ride out this invisible menace that has disrupted life as we knew it.  We should never forget that love and peace, amity,  good will and a common faith in our humaneness- all these  are values we look up to and need to preserve. 

I will end with part of the lyrics of the 1939 song made famous by Vera Lynn that speaks of hope in the midst of hardship:
“We’ll meet again
Don’t know where
Don’t know when
But I’ll know we’ll meet again some sunny day.”

Lastly,  here are the last words of Queen Elizabeth’s moving and unifying televised address on April 5, 2020:
“We will be with friends.  We will be with our families.  We will meet again.”