Simon Says"
My
Beloved Kinfolk in Christ,
What
a time to be alive! As we look to the rebirth and renewal that Spring promises,
the long winter ending, and outward signs of Hope in our lives, I would like to
lift up to you a few different things this month. First, I want to encourage
all of you to continue praying for one another in this time. As more people are
getting vaccinations, as the state opens up and looks to relax the social
distancing guidelines and requirements that we’ve grown to live with this past
year, we can let hope grow again.
We’ve had an eventful year, as we’ve tried
to find our feet throughout this year. We’ve
found common interests that have helped us structure our opportunities for
connection in these times. Our devotional group remains strong, meeting weekly
for prayer, support and study. Our bible study is growing, and finding its feet;
we focus especially on the Older Testament readings for the week, as they are
often not the focus of my sermons, but many participants have indicated that
they are learning a lot about the Old Testament and why and how it was written
and how we as Christians have come to understand its place in our lives. We’ve
enjoyed movies and discussed the themes we saw as people of faith. The
participants in all of these groups are seeking connections, to talk to and to
hear people they’ve missed, but also are seeking to deepen their faith and the
community we feel with one another.
Those groups are in addition to our
(almost) monthly meal that we have been sponsoring and serving at Gloria Dei
through Tomah Mobile Community Table. While numbers have been slowly dropping
lately, which is a hopeful sign, we have been serving over 200 meals since the
beginning of the pandemic. The many volunteers we have had to assist in
planning, cooking, packaging, and serving have participated in a needed
blessing and a herculean effort to ensure people have not gone hungry in these
difficult times. Additionally, Neighbor for Neighbor has seen an increase in
need, but also an outpouring of grace from the community to meet the need in
these times. Neighbor for Neighbor is in the midst of their annual Spring into
Action campaign. They are a vital part of our community all the time, but have
risen to these challenging conditions marvelously. My deepest thanks to those
of you who support their efforts.
Finally, as we find our new normal, I want
to place a few possibilities in your minds as we move towards returning to in
person worship. First is that our initial return, whenever that is, will be
with the protocols from last fall, and will include mask wearing, enhanced
cleaning, and meeting in the fellowship hall. Second, is our long awaited and delayed
installation of the pastor and our delayed 150th anniversary
celebration. We are currently at year 152 according to the dates I have seen,
but I think we can find a way to have these celebrations be connected and
joyous even as we seek to assert what our new normal is. Pray on what we can be
together going forward, let us be a beacon of hope and love for the world.
Peace
and blessings, Pastor Bryan