Dear Friends in Faith,
With each passing day of this coronavirus crisis, I am seeking to strike a balance in my life of tuning into regular news updates, but also being intentional about shutting off the many talking heads and seeking solace in the gifts of the day before me. Information is empowering and we all need to stay abreast of the best ways to manage this pandemic and heed the government's recommendations, but we also know all of the news can be overwhelming and often frightening.
I've been taking daily walks in my neighborhood, and I have so enjoyed them. It's restorative to breathe fresh air, get your body moving, to hear the birds, to see the buds coming out on the trees, to share a smile with a passing pedestrian, and to experience the many ways the world keeps on spinning as it has since the very beginning. As I've walked through a series of parks in the Pocket neighborhood, some folks have shared some hopeful messages in chalk on the sidewalks. I was particularly touched by the message on this picture: "Find Joy in the Ordinary." Yes! We need to find perspective in the midst of these heavy days.
There are glimmers of hope all around us—we just need to take the time to open our eyes and look around. When we inventory all of "what is right with the world" … neighbors reaching out to one another, a phone call from an old friend, flowers blooming, dogs playing in the park, old photos of travels and family reunions, good books, puzzles, laughter, food in our bellies and roofs over our heads … we'll find that things are more manageable than we first thought. Indeed, there is much joy all around us!
The church Session [board of elders] met via the internet “Zoom” program on Tuesday evening and it was a resounding success! Nothing beats meeting in person, but we were still able to see one another via video and chat quite easily. We were all able to check in and spend some time brainstorming creative ways to keep “being the church” in the midst of a pandemic and social distancing. So here are some important announcements for our church family:
In accordance with the government mandates, worship and all gatherings at Bethany Presbyterian Church will remain suspended for the next few weeks, but we'll continually assess the situation as we learn of the status of the pandemic and rely on the recommendations of scientists and government officials. That said, we are still the church and we are offering unique online worship experiences, spiritual formation resources, and lot's of care for one another and our members and friends!
Our Spiritual Formation Commission wanted to share an excellent resource for you all from New College Berkeley: a Lenten devotional. Here is the link where you can download it.
This Sunday, at our normal worship hour of 10:30 a.m., I'll again be offering a Facebook Live service. Dozens of folks showed up last Sunday and enjoyed chatting with one another and sharing joys and concerns. If you are not a Facebook user, or you’d prefer to view at a different time, you can see the service on the church website.
Please continue to check in with each other via e-mail or phone. I'm hearing of lots of special phone calls taking place between old friends and new friends. Thank you all for your big hearts, grace, and love as we navigate these uncharted waters together. Be kind to one another and hold fast to our faith. Let us hold one another and our world in prayer, knowing that God hears all of our prayers and will bring us through this storm.
Peace and hope to you all,
Jesse
