I am going to tag onto what Marty wrote about in her Daily Blessing, even thou I haven’t read it yet. While there have been many things that COVID has taken away, COVID has also forced us to think creatively in how we do church and how to be in connection and ministry with each other. We have learned to use Zoom for meetings and fellowship and while that is not the same as in person, it does allow us to reach out to people father away. Because of Zoom, folks who have moved away are now joining us for worship and for studies, which is pretty awesome.
While back in the day when we had in-person worship it was difficult for people to invite someone to church, now it is a lot easier for folks to share our worship service on their Facebook page and all of a sudden we are reaching your friends and family. We have several people who have joined us who have never stepped onto our campus. Facebook can be a blessing if we let it be. Streaming services and zooming groups will never take the place of in-person worship and meetings, however it can be use in tandem with in-person (once we can safely do that again) to reach more people and to stay connected with folks who have moved out of the area.
We are starting a new book study group on our Facebook page Cumchb Book Study. The book is “Accidental Saints: Finding God in All the Wrong People” by Nadia Bolz-Weber. Nadia is a Lutheran pastor who has used her background and struggles to reach many people who are disillusioned with Christianity. Accidental Saints is an amazing book about how God can show up in people you least expect. We will read a chapter a week of this book and start commenting on what we read on Wednesday, September 9. One of the blessings on being on FB is that there is no “meeting time” so you can post your thoughts on our book study FB page at any time. This is a great format that makes it easy for anyone who is on FB to join in our group. You just have to like our Cumchb Book Study FB page and join in.
Blessings can come in many disguises and sometimes we don’t realize them when we receive them, but when we look back, we see them. While COVID is certainly NOT a blessing, we can see the blessing in some of the adjustments that we have had to make because of COVID as blessings. Thinking outside the box and creating new ways for people to participate here at CUCMC is a blessing. Calling and connecting with people you would not normally be talking to at church is a blessing. Having time to clean out stuff around your home is a blessing as is learning that you can live without all that stuff is a blessing.
We need to remember that God is with us and gives us hope, even when we do not feel very hopeful. One of the ways he gives us hope is through our minds and creativity, let us use this that gift and reach more people in new ways while we help each other in living out our faith in our daily lives.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
Gracious and Loving God, we thank you for the gift of thought and creativity. You created such a beautiful and vast universe with a planet with wonderous diversity for us to live on. Help us to learn to think outside the box of we have always done it this way to find new ways of living into our faith and creative ways to help others discover your love for them. Help us to remember that nothing separates from your love and help us live into our faith that we may share the gift that we have found in you. Amen
Stay safe and be the hope you wish to see in the world.
Suzanne