Happy Friday,
Truly. We made it to the end of this crazy week, and that is not a milestone to take lightly. Happy Friday.
I encourage you to do something to mark the end of this week. I will be encouraging you to find small ways to mark and note small victories like this one. Light a candle with dinner. Make a toast. Take a beautiful picture. Watch a movie. Have a bubble bath. Something special. Some new ritual in this time. Feel free to share with me what you decide to do. If you Insta or Tweet, tag the church (@WolfeboroUCC, #wolfeboroucc) and tag it #happyfridaylent2020.
Some of you know how much I love the book of Job. These are "Job-ian" times, I have been thinking. So, I was touched that David Gaewski (NY Conference Minister) used the above line in his pastoral note this week. He goes on to say:
“This is being the church. Church is not cancelled or postponed. Our witness in the world today is as critical as ever before.That said, it does not mean that holding worship services in person on Sundays is a good idea. It is not.”
He is absolutely right.
A lot of you have been emailing, messaging, calling me asking about
our
plan for virtual worship. You have shared with me so many links to other faith community responses, that I need to gracefully ask you to stop sending them. Information overload is a real thing, I cannot keep up. It is hard enough to plot through a response that I hope will feed you, but I get overwhelmed when I try and take in what so many other communities are doing in so many other places-- with their own gifts, staff, blessings, challenges and means. There is no one-way to navigate this time. Pastors are doing their best "building the plane in the air at 10,000 and still climbing," as one of my friends aptly has said. Our churches have different particulars to balance, what is feasible and good for one, is not for another. If you have access to other congregations virtual worship-- enjoy the bounty. Reach out and encourage those pastors too. All the messages that I am getting from you of encouragement and gratitude-- mean more than you can know.
Ok... that said. Here is our plan!
On each Sunday morning you should watch for an email with a YouTube link to a worship experience. It will be 20-30 minutes in length, and will include Andy playing some music, and me offering some scripture and a reflection. It will not be "live" (because I want to be able to provide the same content to Wolfeboro Community TV for our folks who don't do computer stuff easily). It will not always be filmed in the same space. This week, I will talk with you from my study at home. Many of us are practicing extreme social-distancing from home, and I want to meet you where you are, and where I am. I have just completed my self-quarantine days at home. (No signs of the virus! Just an ordinary sinus infection that blossomed this week, so I am trying to keep those germs to myself as well.) So, this week's message will come from where I am.
On Wednesdays, we will send another message with a link/video in it. This one will be aimed at our children and youth, a kind of virtual Chancel Steps. I'm going to call it "Worship on Wednesdays." It'll probably be a little shorter. Andy is working on a song to teach our youth during these times. That one might be "live"... I haven't gotten that far yet. But I want to be able to speak some relevant words to our young people in an anxious and confusing time. I'll be channeling my inner Mr. Rogers!
And I'll keep writing to you via these pastoral notes. Many of you have quite appreciated them, so I'll try and send one out every few days or so.
I want to acknowledge that we are not moving through "normal" days, and I want to challenge us to embrace that reality. So, we are going to use virtual worship as an invitation for some creativity. It will reflect the fact that we are adapting to changing times, all of us.
Below again is your "scavenger hunt challenge", and as promised a few ways to stay in tune with your physical body too!
Blessings,
Pastor Gina
revginaf@gmail.com
(207) 239-7796
p.s. Please do remember to send in your offering,
to the best of your ability! Krista is still checking the post office box. Our counters are still processing checks and depositing them. I am working on an e-giving option, but it won't surprise you to hear that they are bogged down in new clients! We have expenses at church that continue, even if we are not gathering in person. With thanks...
