How can I stay informed without being overwhelmed?
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Friends,
As we continue through this uncharted territory together, we are moving each week through a series of prayer practices informed by our faith tradition in conversation with the research of Yale Professor of Psychology Dr. Laurie Santos. This week we want to spend some time with a question many of us are dealing with: How can we stay informed without getting too anxious?
This is a question Dr. Santos has responded to online and it’s one that many of us are wrestling with. Personally, after the first few weeks of all this, my regular daily routine of listening to the news was out the window, for my own sanity. I found other ways to stay informed but something about listening to the same broadcast in the same time and place I always had, “like normal,” while the things they were saying were so abnormal, so bizarre and unsettling, was just too much. At that time, I asked on social media, ‘how many of you have changed your news habits,’ and more than anything else I was blown away at how extreme the responses were. Some people said, “I can’t listen or watch at all, I’m taking a break from the news entirely;” while others said, “I can’t stop, I can’t imagine not being informed right now.”
And I was reminded that we are all so different, we all process the world, our anxieties and griefs and hopes, so differently. And there is no right answer. But there are ways we can all care for our spirits as we encounter the news.
Because it’s inevitable that we’re going to encounter the headlines, whether we seek them out or not. And for many of us it feels like a part of our ethical obligation as followers of Jesus to stay informed about our world and the needs in it. So how do we do that without allowing the news to pull us under?
Dr. Santos recommends paying attention to your body, noticing how anxiety shows up physically for you – is it a heaviness, do you feel constricted, does your breathing get faster? The more mindful we can be of how our bodies are reacting, the better we can respond and know when we’ve seen or heard enough.
It’s also important to seek out good news, always – but especially right now. Try searching for #covidkindness, or check out the latest installment of John Krasinski’s Youtube show, “Some Good News.” I’m serious; this is my most sincere pastoral advice: finding good news will require intentionality, but it’s out there, and our hearts need to hear it.
And finally, set yourself some good boundaries. Pick a time each evening that you’ll put down your phone and not pick it up again until morning. This connects back to our conversation about sleep last week; if we’re reading anxiety-inducing news right up until bedtime, we’re bound to have trouble sleeping. This is also a practice of self-compassion. You can trust that you’re not going to miss much, the whole news cycle right now is really just one big story, and anything new tonight will still be new in the morning. So keep that perspective, and give yourself some room to breathe.
As you read the headlines this week, remember that you can hold space for the news stories of the day without allowing them to pull you under. I invite you to hold each story you encounter in your heart for a few seconds, allowing it to do what work it needs to do in you, and then rather than allowing it to sink in you like a stone and weigh you down, I invite you to bless and release it with an affirmation of God’s loving presence here with us, in this moment, as well as throughout this world that God loves. You can use the same affirmation and blessing we used on Sunday: “The love of God is here now; may the love of God inhabit the earth.” Or, you can come up with whatever fits for you.
Even when it’s difficult to comprehend, even when it’s hard to see the blue sky of God’s love, we know that beyond the storms that surround us, the news that confronts us, God’s love still remains.
In Love,
Claire
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The Prayers of the People
An opportunity to celebrate and pray alongside siblings in our community.
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We pray alongside...
Hannah Clark,
who lost her
brother,
David Crews
this week. David's funeral
was on Wednesday.
Carol Ann Tubbs
, and her sister,
Patti Bewick
. Patti is a survivor of oral cancer, and is undergoing tests this week to see if there is a recurrence.
Vickie Krutzer
and her mother,
Dale Hughes
, who dealt with a series of TIAs this week.
We express gratitude for...
Pat Hayes
, who has continued to faithfully work over the past several weeks to provide masks for caretakers who need them.
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If you have concerns and celebrations you would like us to add to the newsletter, please call the church office or email
office@northmin.org.
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The Work of the People
How we are responding to the Spirit of Love
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New Northminster "Podcast,"
Northminster Stories
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Looking for a new way to spend time with community members in the midst of social distancing?
For the next several weeks, I (Zach) will be doing a series of interviews talking to church members about moments they felt most alive, proud, or sorry at Northminster. I'm hoping to collect information that can help us see our communal story more clearly, but also wants to take the opportunity to help us get to know our fellow church-members better while we're all feeling somewhat isolated.
This week, I sat down with Mara Loeb.
The links are "unlisted," so they won't be going out to our normal podcasting audience. Only folks with links can access them.
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Register for "The Cure for Sorrow" Online Retreat
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Seasons of uncertainty of any kind are cause for grief and anxiety. This season of prolonged uncertainty is grieving our hearts all the more, whether we recognize and name those feelings of grief or not. Add to that the many losses we have each witnessed: from the loss of loved ones and members of our community, to the loss of normalcy, to the losses of income or long-anticipated milestones or a much-needed rest…and we are a people beset by grief.
As the church, we are uniquely graced with the ability and the responsibility to hold one another in that grief through our gathering in community.
In that spirit, we invite you to join us for a 3-part online retreat led by Claire Helton with Jan Richardson’s The Cure for Sorrow: A Book of Blessings for Times of Grief.
The three sessions will be held on Tuesday evenings, May 12, 19, and 26 from 7-8:30pm over Zoom and will be part discussion and part workshop, making space for us to craft the blessings we each most need to hear for ourselves in this season.
For details and registration info find out more here:
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A Story-Listening Gathering
(or just a chance to hang out with friends!)
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On Sunday the 17th, we'll take the first step in paying attention to who we have been, so that we can more clearly see who we are becoming.
At 5:30, everyone is invited to log on to a church-wide Zoom call, where we will split into groups and connect over stories about the times we’ve felt most alive at Northminster, times we’ve been the proudest, and times we’ve been sorry for what has happened.
Then we’ll all come together to take a look at what kinds of stories, themes, and values came up to the surface. The CC and commissions will be using our experiences in this meeting over the following weeks to consider who we are, why we're here, and what our work is in this season.
We anticipate this will be a live-giving experience for any who are able to come!
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Update on Assisting Asylum Seekers Released due to COVID19
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Below are the current needs from our missions group working to meet needs of asylum seekers being released on short notice due to COVID-19:
- 4-5 pairs of men's pants or shorts in size 36-40
- Men's t-shirts in size Small
- New pack of men's underwear, sizes S, M, L, XL
- Snack items that include protein
Other ways to help:
- Monetary donations can also be applied to the needs above, as well as to transportation and housing costs
- Letter-writing is as important as ever, if not more so, for those who are still being held in detention, so please keep up that good work! If you haven't started writing Mara Loeb can help you get connected.
For more information or to share how you can help, contact Mara Loeb or the church office and we can put you in touch.
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Northminster member Marsha McGee has a 'sweet' proposal she wanted to share with the church: Partnering with friends from New Iona Presbyterian Church, she plans to deliver cookies baked by New Iona member Becky Thompson (owner/pastry chef at CAKE) to healthcare workers at Ochsner Medical Center and then at Glenwood if there is enough interest. New Iona has already delivered at St. Francis; see the attached photo from the St. Francis Facebook page showing off the cookies and the smiles they brought. If you'd like to chip in you can use our usual donation methods - PayPal, or a check dropped in the church mailbox, but if you use PayPal be sure to contact the church office to let Renee know your donation is for the "cookie fund."
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Our Father, Who Art in Heaven...
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One of the best ways we can remind ourselves we're not alone right now is by seeing one another's faces as we ground ourselves in our sacred stories and prayers.
Please send in a video of yourself reciting the Lord's Prayer (you can use cue cards, we won't know!). We need as many as we can get! You can
email your video to Zach.
And we're always looking for more scripture readers for our worship services. If you're willing to record just your voice reading scripture please
email Renee to let her know!
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"How can we keep from singing?"
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The choir continues to meet at their usual time over Zoom for a brief check-in and a chance to make music together from home. If you haven't been able to connect so far please contact DH Clark and he can help you get connected!
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If you are interested in meeting with your Sunday School over Zoom at 10am on Sunday morning, contact your Sunday School teacher. They should be able to give you a link to follow to gather on Sunday morning.
If you're not already a part of one of these classes, feel free to drop in anyway! Contact Craig Henry or Zach & Claire.
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Do you need help getting groceries, or financially?
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Do you need help getting groceries this week? Don't be a hero! If you're in the more vulnerable population, please stay where you are and let us help. There are church members who have offered to meet this exact need.
If you've lost your source of income because of COVID-19 and find yourself in need of food, assistance, or money, please contact your care group leader or
office@northmin.org.
We can help you navigate your options and connect you to folks to ensure your needs are met.
No one is alone in this.
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Holy Ideas
How might we respond to the Spirit of Love?
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In this new season of social distancing, we need holy ideas to help stretch our imaginations for what is possible within this community more than ever.
Since we can't make use of the physical "Holy Ideas" board in the hallway, we'll maintain it virtually and keep it updated here in the newsletter. If you have an idea for a way the church can be church in this season, or if you see an idea you'd like to support to help it become reality,
email the office
and Renee will virtually post or sign your name to it.
If you have questions about an existing idea, email the person listed as its sponsor.
Our usual system is as follows: If the idea gets the support it needs (3 signatures) within 3 weeks, the supporters will meet with the appropriate commission to clarify and refine the idea into a specific, time-limited plan. If adjustments to this system are needed given the novelty of this new situation we find ourselves in, we will reevaluate as needed.
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No submissions at this time.
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No submissions at this time.
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No submissions at this time.
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No submissions at this time.
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Giving to Northminster
Practicing Stewardship in an Uncertain Time
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We are sensitive to the reality that financial uncertainty is one of the side effects of the spread of the coronavirus. However, if you find yourself in a position to continue or increase your contributions to the church, know that your donation will be greatly appreciated. We have made the decision to honor our commitments to all those on our payroll (ministers, staff, choral scholars, childcare) who are relying on this income in an anxious time, and we cannot do that without your continued support.
To support Northminster financially, you can
click here
, or scan the QR code below with the camera on your phone.
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Sunday 5/3
10am - Digital Sunday School
10:45am - Preludes and Pre-Worship Chat
11am - Worship
After Worship - Narthex Chat
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Worship This Week
The text for this week is:
Claire Helton will preach Sunday's sermon, which will be streamed on our YouTube channel.
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