Streams of Mercy
While I’m grateful to be able to be at home these days, I’m finding that staying home is hard work! As one used to being actively engaged in ministry from day to day, I struggle with how to stay connected with my congregation. Part of each day is spent making phone calls, writing notes, texting and e-mailing to the church family several times a week, and praying for all of us in this uncertain time. As one not as knowledgeable in technology as my younger colleagues, or as comfortable in venturing out in these areas, I’m wondering what new things I might do that would be helpful. I haven’t tried preaching to an empty sanctuary on Facebook or having a session meeting by conference call; I haven’t set up daily devotions and prayers online, or e-mailed sermons each Sunday. We’ll see what the coming days might bring.
As one who follows the lectionary, I’ve stopped at the well as Jesus talked with the Samaritan woman, and had a personal conversation with him as well, tasting of that living water; last Sunday I listened in as first Jesus and then the Pharisees encountered the man blind from birth, and heard him declare to all ”One thing I do know; that though I was blind, now I see.” I was reminded in Psalm 23 that, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for You are with me.” And this coming Lord’s Day, we read of the raising of Lazarus and of Ezekiel in the valley of dry bones. In these uncertain days, we must bear witness resurrection truth, that in God’s time, there will be new life, and our mourning will be turned to dancing. While we might feel that we’re walking through a valley of dry bones, those bones will come together again in God’s time, and have new life breathed into them, and we will live!
Presbyterian Outlook Editor, Jill Duffield, offers these words of hope and promise: “As social distancing grows, shelter in place orders expand, more people get sick, layoffs increase, anxiety heightens and the end of this public health crisis seems far off, we need a glimpse of Easter, a foreshadowing of hope, a sure cause for rejoicing and, thanks be to God, we unequivocally have such an occasion this Lord's Day. We may not mark Holy Week or celebrate Easter in our sanctuaries this year, but nothing will prevent Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem and his living, breathing exit from the tomb. Nothing! … This coming Sunday (the 5th Sunday in Lent) is a day to remember that Easter is coming and nothing - nothing - will stop God's power and plan to bring new life out of despair and death. In the meantime, in this in between time, we must weep with those who weep, mourn the mounting communal losses together, call on Jesus for help and pray to our Father in hope.”
May we be faithful to pray for each other and for God’s children everywhere, trusting God to bring us through these uncertain days, and helping each other in all the ways we can.
Elizabeth