Reflection from your Co-Pastors Thursday June 17, 2021
2 Corinthians 9: 6-11
"God loves a cheerful giver," says second Corinthians, one who is not "reluctant" or "under compulsion," rather, someone who trusts that God will always provide you with enough so that you may share abundantly.
All of us have just undergone over a year of living through a life- threatening pandemic. We have had little or no in person visits from friends or relatives for months, have most likely spent way too much time looking at the Hollywood Squares or Brady Bunch boxes on our computer screens, and sacrificed vacations, entertainment, and in person worship.
Some have lost jobs, lost loved ones, and were Covid positive themselves. Though some of us are doing far less
physically than we used to, many are reporting feeling exhausted and run down.
Doctor Sarita Robinson, professor of psychology at the University of Central Lancashire, England, tells us that "we expect to feel tired after a run or exercise class. However, high levels of mental effort and increased anxiety make us tired also. When we face psychological stressors Doctor Robinson continues, our bodies
still mount a physiological response. We can enter fight or flight mode. Our heart rate increases. And keeping the body in this high state of alert, really takes its toll on our energy levels. We have had to adapt quickly to an unfamiliar way of doing things, and the anxiety and stress caused, are by nature exhausting. For some, just the monotony and boredom associated with Covid restrictions and isolation has provided such a lack of stimulation that it produces tiredness and apathy."
We are just now emerging from our Covid cocoons and starting to gather together again. During this long isolation, our members have financially supported Mary of Magdala
