MIDWEEK MUSINGS – January 25, 2022 – John Knox
Friends,
It is a cold winter day as I write today. We have experienced a real roller-coaster with winter temperatures this year. It makes it hard to plan – one doesn’t know whether it will be 10 degrees or 50! I think it adds to the uncertainty and the lack of connectedness we are feeling because of the pandemic. I know, as an extrovert, I missed the human interaction. But after 2 years of this, I wonder how I have changed. Have I gotten so used to not seeing people in person that I don’t really miss it anymore?
When the day comes that we are once again able to gather – and I do believe that day will come – will I make the effort, or will I continue to stay home? This is an issue for the church community also. There are people who have become accustomed to staying home, watching worship online, who may never, or rarely, come in person again. Of course, those who were not able to come now do have the online connection.
My clergy group had this discussion this week: how will the church evolve following the pandemic? How can we have true community with those out there in virtual land? Is true community only possible when we are face-to-face with folks? No one has these answers, and the truth is probably somewhere in the middle, or something that none of us can see yet.
Our recourse is to continue to have hope, to be confident in the promise of God to always be with us, to never leave us, and to believe that God’s purpose for the world will be accomplished. I know it is hard to live without the certainty we so desire. But we must continue to be faithful and to plan for the future as best we can, knowing that God does have a purpose for us, and we will be able to accomplish that purpose if we trust in the leading of the Spirit.
A big thank you to Pamela Mount who put together the Newsletter for this month. It was such a help to Kim who is up to her eyebrows in Annual Meeting papers. I appreciate how Pamela had obviously been paying attention and focused paragraphs and illustrations on what is going on within the congregation. I loved the sailboat on the front cover!
Remember that we do have our Annual Meeting this coming Sunday, January 30. I have asked Tommy to set up a Zoom meeting for those of you unable to be here in person. Watch for the link to come out by the end of the week.
I will be taking a week of study leave Feb 7-14, primarily to prepare for Lent. I do expect to have a weekly Lenten study and will let you know about that as soon as the book is determined. It will probably be a hybrid gathering, in-person and zoom.
Stay safe, stay warm, and remember the hope we have in Jesus to aid us through these days.
Grace and peace, Pastor Carol