Dear St. John's Community,
In the gospel readings for this week and next week, the Pharisees are trying to test Jesus, but he never falls for their traps. He is steady in his answers to their hostile questions, keeping his eyes on the kingdom at all times.
I think these long months of pandemic are testing us—testing our patience, our resilience, and our ability to stay focused on what matters most. Many people feel worn down. Tragically, the physical distancing that we must do threatens to cause us to be socially and spiritually distanced as well.
I encourage you to name the fact that this is a testing time. It is not meant to be easy. Nobody is at their best. We need to give ourselves and one another grace more now than ever. At this time we also have more need for the grounding and goodness of community and faith. While it is not as easy to plug into these things since we cannot gather as we used to, we are not without resources. I hope you will join us for worship today, found
at this link. The service begins at 9am, but you may watch it any time after that as well. There are classes and other good opportunities to connect with God and one another.
Although this time of testing is far from over, it's not going to last forever. Let's seek each other out however we can so that we can be a blessing to one another mutually while keeping our eyes upon the kingdom, which Jesus taught is all around us at all times, even during a pandemic.
God's peace,
Rob+
