| Message for Wednesday, March 18 Things are changing so fast. It’s enough to make us dizzy and scare our hearts. And I’m writing to remind you to be gentle with yourself and generous with others — we’re in this together. All of us are living into new daily rhythms. While that alone is disorienting, we are already moving from a life of daily inconvenience to one of fear. Institutions from sports to conferences to schools have transformed overnight. Many of our children — both school-age and young adults — are now home with us, which requires its own adjustments. And many, many people are finding themselves abruptly and unceremoniously out of work, with uncertain prospects for future paychecks as social distancing measures continue for an unknown length of time. Amid this, we must not let fear become a way of life. We remember the words of Jesus: Love can cast out fear. Leaning into love and learning what it really means to love our neighbors in this crisis will be crucial to our collective health and survival. Our physical health rightly requires social distancing in a pandemic, but maintaining our spiritual health means we can’t let that lead to social isolation. We need physical distance but not human isolation, especially for the most vulnerable. Public health now requires social separation to prevent the community spread of the coronavirus, but personal and communal health means increasing — and not decreasing — social solidarity. Even living more alone, we must find new ways to be together, as community building is essential for communal health and the common good. Turning from physical contact with others must not cause us to turn away from each other, but rather turning to each other in better, deeper, and healthier ways. (Excerpted from Spiritual Health Care: Social Distancing Without Social Isolation by Jim Wallis) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Friends, as we continue on this uncertain path, know that I continue to hold you in prayer. I trust that you are holding one another, and me, in your prayers, as well. My desire is to remain connected with you in whatever ways that I can. That means through our website (www.cedarvilleumc.org), our Facebook page, our email list, automated phone contacts, and personal phone calls. If someone you know is not on our email list and/or automated phone list (“robo” calls), and if they would like to be, please have them contact the church office and let Susan know (susan@cedarvilleumc.org or 610-326-4173). She will be adding to those lists as she receives requests. Please do not assume that everyone else already receives our Robo calls or daily emails. Please share them with others in the congregation, as well as anyone else you sense might be blessed by them. We will get through this together as we care for one another and check in with one another through phone contacts and emails and FaceTime or other platforms that allow “face to face” communications. You are in my heart, on my mind, and in my prayers! The peace of Christ remain with you all! Pastor Sherry |