Dearly Beloved,

Most days on Facebook, I try to look at what comes up under memories (posts & pictures from previous years). I love seeing old pictures of family, friends, and various church events. I will often find myself re-posting particular memes because they continue to bring a smile and/or inspire.

This past week, I found the “anniversary” of when everything changed 3 years ago. There were so many questions about whether or not we should close, what we should do, and the like. Then the official word came from the local government that made the decision for us. Our building was closed and our in-person gatherings had to stop. This brought a whole new series of questions. Most central were:

How do we keep connected – realizing also that not everyone is necessarily online?
AND
What does it means for us to be the Church in the midst of a pandemic?

While all the uncertainty was overwhelming at times, it also drew us back to what was more important and our primary priorities. We learned what – and who – was really essential for our day-to-day lives. We learned that we could make adjustments to what and how we do everything. This was most certainly true for our individual lives as well as for us as the Church.

And most importantly, we (re)learned of God’s loving and gracious presence with us throughout it all. God is indeed faithful! God’s Spirit moved in and among us as the Church. The building may have been closed, but the Church did not stop being the Church that God has made us to be.

As most of what we experienced is now among our memories, may we not forget what we have learned and what we have experienced of God in our midst.

Peace in Christ,
Pastor Jen