Northminster Family,
Here we are on Maundy Thursday. I’ve spent time this week combing through my usual resources for Holy Week, reading prayers, reflections and blessings by wise people who speak my language for God, whose experience I trust, for the sake of grounding myself in that wisdom as much as having something to pass on to you. And yet I seem to keep finding that so much of what has given me life in years past seems somehow peripheral now. It’s not that it isn’t true anymore, but it feels like there was a trajectory we were on, and while I didn’t know the specifics, I had a sense of where we were headed. And I knew what I believed to be true on that journey.
And then, like so many of us, I blinked! And the terrain had all shifted; the entire landscape had changed. And I can’t help but feel like I’m on one of Doc’s timelines from
Back to the Future.
(I have Zach to thank for embedding that movie so deeply into my psyche that it’s what comes to mind on a momentous occasion like this one.)
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It’s as if there was a world we were living in, someone flipped a switch, and now we’re all in some alternate 1985...or 2020. The things that were most true before are all still true…but if I’m not in the right frame of mind, they kind of feel…irrelevant. Maybe you know what I'm talking about.
So in some sense, it seems silly to claim today as Maundy Thursday – or even as any regular old Thursday, when all the days seem to be running together. But in another sense, this is exactly the reason we
need
to claim today as Maundy Thursday; we need tomorrow to be Good Friday, like it was always going to be; we
need
Easter to come this Sunday more than we’ve needed any Easter in quite a while. We need these stakes in the ground to hold us steady, to remind us who we are and who God is, to remind us of the story we find ourselves in. That truth hasn’t changed, and I hope that if you need the reminder, as I do, you’ll join us for our remaining Holy Week services as we walk through these stories together.
Maundy Thursday
Join us for our traditional Water & Wine in the Columbarium gathering (virtually) at 5:30pm by clicking here:
https://zoom.us/j/908418057.
The Maundy Thursday service commemorating the Last Supper can be viewed at 6pm
by clicking here.
Good Friday
The Good Friday service walking through Jesus' final hours can be viewed at 6pm
by clicking here.
Holy Saturday
A short Holy Saturday reflection for the waiting can be viewed at noon
by clicking here.
And of course you can continue to join us for the last Holy Week lunch reflection offered by Dr. Gaddy at
noon tomorrow.
(If you missed lunch today you can
catch up here
.)
May we be rooted and grounded in the story of Love, this week and always.
Grace and peace,
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...
Everyone suffering from or affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, particularly those medical caregivers facing the wave of cases. We commit to giving hands and feet to this prayer this week by picking up the phone and connecting with someone who may need to hear a friendly voice, and by "loving those in our backyard" through our resources.
We pray alongside
Paulette Cappel
in her role as a caregiver.
Claire Carrington
and other employees at CenturyLink as they grieve the death of a coworker, Christopher Joffrion, who died of complications related to COVID-19.
Mark Windham,
who was grateful to avoid surgery to remove his appendix last week and continues to recover well.
We celebrate alongside...
John & Ingrid Gray
as they celebrated Ingrid's 80th birthday last Friday with the doctor's report that John was free of cancer! He is recovering well and will now begin immunotherapy.
Norris Duke
(9th),
Janet Dawson
(12th), ,
Ellen Yeldell
(12th),
Billie Jo Creed
(12th)
and
Charles Creech
(15th) as they celebrate their birthdays.
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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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Scheduling a Pastoral Care Call
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Friends, it is one thing for us to call folks to check in, but if you're in need of pastoral care, if you're feeling afraid or ungrounded and would like to have an intentional conversation about what it means to be human right now or how your faith can inform what you're experiencing, please don't hesitate to give us a call. It is, in large part, why we're here. If what you need in this season is a deep and honest conversation, please help us help you by reaching out.
With so much love,
Zach and Claire
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With the onset of the virus and the close quarters at Richwood, ICE has made the decision to release large numbers of detainees each day. One of our mission groups, Northminster Advocates for Immigrants in Detention, has identified the following needs for detainees who are being released on short notice with no friends or family to pick them up. They ask for whatever help we can offer in meeting them:
Ways to help:
- Transportation: This is the hardest need to meet right now but if you are healthy, willing & able to drive detainees short or long distances from Richwood to their destination, this is a huge need. Donations to cover taxi rides, bus or plane tickets are also a big help.
- Lodging: Since most volunteers are unable to offer lodging in their homes right now the group is seeking donations to cover hotel costs, and seeking hotels with low rates to help facilitate this.
- Supplies: Claire Carrington is collecting & assembling travel kits with clothes, money for food, snacks, overnight items, masks, and cell phones as they are available. Any donations toward this effort is also appreciated.
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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Do you need help getting groceries?
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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. Contact your care group leader or
office@northmin.org
and we can connect you to someone that can make sure you have what you need!
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Have you lost your source of income?
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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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Remember that one way you can be an agent of resurrection in this season is by making masks for those who are most in need of them.
Drop-off for masks is on
Fridays between the hours of 1-2pm
by the front door of the church (2701 Lamy Ln). Someone will be present inside the building to monitor the drop-offs, though we ask that you maintain a distance of 6 feet and refrain from touching the front door. We’ll ensure they get to caregivers that need them.
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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!
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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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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
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Just about everything is cancelled for the next several weeks to contain the spread of COVID-19 and "flatten the curve." If you
must
go out into the community, please remember best practices.
Use tissues to avoid touching door handles and gas pumps, try to stay at least 6ft away from others, and wash your hands for the full 20 seconds when you return home.
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Sunday 4/12
10am - Digital Sunday School
10:30am - Preludes and Pre-Worship Chat
11am - Worship
12pm or close of worship - Narthex Chat
More information coming at the end of the week about our Holy Week schedule.
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Worship This Week
The text for this week is:
Zachary and Claire Helton will co-preach Sunday's sermon, which will be streamed on our YouTube channel.
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