Dear Beloved of God,
How are you doing? These days are asking a lot of our spirit. They are trying and angst filled. A reminder to look for the thousands of little miracles in our midst is as much for your benefit as my own. There are a thousand little miracles in each day, and perhaps we can see often overlooked ones in these times.
Thanks for your early encouraging and good feedback about Sunday's worship service. It seems we avoided some of the pitfalls that other congregations struggled through over the week, and I am sure we will increasingly find our sea legs in this adventure of virtual worship.
It will not surprise you to learn that we are
not
planning to resume worship in the sanctuary for Palm Sunday. In fact,
I am writing to you to say you should assume in-person worship in the sanctuary continues to be suspended until further notice.
Until it is safe to gather again, according the science and guidelines of the CDC and our governor. I know this has become inevitable, but I have dreaded making the announcement to make it official. We will have to mark Holy Week and Easter in a new way. I am working on that plan. This means all the other in-person things we do are also suspended-- just to be clear. Again, if I can help you navigate some online ways to connect, I am very happy to help you do that. Wolfeboro Reads folks have been getting a weekly email with some things to think about in the book we are reading. As time goes on, we will all get braver at connecting with technological ease!
That said, I'm thinking whenever the "first" Sunday back in the sanctuary is... we should celebrate
"Easter Observed".
After all, Jesus was not technically born on December 25, nor did he rise on April 12 (a moving feast of a date anyway!). In that spirit, we decided
not
to order the Easter plants... yet. We called Spider Web Gardens and shared our plan to celebrate Easter later, and promised we would order whatever-is-in-season at that point, and hold Easter Observed. If you ordered plants from the church, I hope this substitute plan is okay with you. Reach out to me or Krista (
kristafccw@gmail.com
) if not.
However, the palms for Palm Sunday have already been shipped. So, they are on their way! Krista put together a little table by the parking lot doors at church (just inside) with helpful things: April/May issue of
These Days
, the donation boxes for the food pantry, GWAV and End 68 Hours of Hunger, and when the palms come-- we will put them there. Many of you have a code to enter the building, please be cautious, but you can stop in and pick up/drop off what might be useful. On the church website, we have collected the pastoral notes I have been writing, and they are posted in the tab "News and Events".
Andy and I are still working on the first "Worship on Wednesday" video for our children and youth. I hope to send the first one next week, April 1st. For now, I want to remind you of the excellent Lenten family devotional that we offered this year.
Here's a PDF version
in case you didn't get a hard copy one. Our New Hampshire Conference of the UCC is offering a little "virtual summer camp" to get us through these days, as well. See below.
If there are other things I can resource for you, please reach out. I have access to more information, creativity and contacts than you can imagine. And if I don't know the answer or solution to something immediately, I know how to find it!
You will hear from me again on Sunday with our weekly worship. Stay safe, be kind, and be gentle with yourself. And remember... tomorrow is Friday, what will you do to mark the end of this week?
Blessings,
Pastor Gina
(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...
