We miss you: Making a plan to gather again

Office rose in 
bloom this week

Dear Grace Church Family,

Lisa and I miss you all so very much. We look forward to the day when we are all together again in a similar fashion to what we are used to. I know I miss our worship, talking before and after worship, spending time with our children and youth, communion, and so much more.

As you know Governor Northam has said that churches may resume worship this weekend in a limited way. That is not the case with the churches of the VA Conference. Bishop Lewis is not permitting in-person worship at this time.

The conference has designed a handbook that each church is to use to get ready for in-person worship. We have been instructed to form a Healthy Church Team and I have asked several people to serve as members. If you are interested please contact me.

The handbook is very extensive. As I read it yesterday I was impressed with the care and hard work that went into it. It is also very, very clear that worship will not be the same at all during the first weeks or months of opening under the provisions of this handbook.

For example, everyone will have to register to attend worship by Thursday of each week. Everyone who attends will need to wear a mask, come with their own hand sanitizer, take their temperature at home that morning, and sit six feet from another person or family. There will be no nursery, children's time during worship, fellowship time, handshakes or hugging, no choir or singing. If you are sick in any way you are to stay home. No baptisms. No passing of the plate for the offering. There is also the suggestion that the service be rather brief, no more than 30 minutes or so. The longer everyone is together the higher the risk of a possible exposure to the virus. Once the service is over everyone leaves. There will be no bulletin, hymnals, pew Bibles, or any other similar materials. No Sunday School.

So as you can see under these strict protocols things will be very, very different. Once the bishop decides a specific date we can determine if that works for us or can wait until we are ready. Classes and groups can continue to use Zoom and committees can meet with 10 or less members present and physical distancing. I will continue to put a sermon on Facebook each week with lots of help from Lisa.

The motive for these restrictions is one taken from Mr. Wesley who took it from the Hippocratic Oath: "Do No Harm." We also want to hear our Lord's call to "Love your neighbor as you love yourself" (Matthew 22:39 NIV).

We take all the precautions we need because we do not want this to happen at Grace:  https://www.wrcbtv.com/story/42126834/ringgold-church-cancels-services-after-3-church-members-test-positive-for-covid19

So at this time we seek wisdom from the Lord in how we may best care for one another. We pray for the day when this virus subsides and many are healed. We pray for our leaders, scientists, and those who work in healthcare and who are first responders.

Again, we miss you and look forward to being together again as church family.

Grace + peace,

Clay+

Resources:

Email Pastor Clay: clayknick@comcast.net 

Back to In Person Worship Plan
Bishop's Plan Summary
Handbook for Local Churches


***

The Feast of Annunciation

From Luke 1:26-38 Revised Standard Version (RSV):

²⁶ In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And he came to her and said, “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” ²⁹ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰ And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 

³² He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 

³⁴ And Mary said to the angel, “How shall this be, since I have no husband?” ³⁵ And the angel said to her, 

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; 

therefore the child to be born will be called holy, 

the Son of God. 

³⁶ And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷ For with God nothing will be impossible.” ³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.


By now you know my love for Christmas. I really do love it. The carols, smells, food, time with family, giving and opening gifts, "A Charlie Brown Christmas," special meals, candlelight communion, and so, so much more all say to me that God has come to us in the Holy Child. Christmas begins in March on the 25th which is, of course, today, The Feast of the Annunciation.

We're used to hearing the passage above from Luke during Advent, but it is the Gospel Lesson for today. Imagine the shock and the surprise it was for Mary. She is so open to God, much more than many of us. She receives Gabriel's message, but still has her questions. Without a doubt in my mind she knows this will not be easy, but again, she is open and willing to serve the Lord. 

Gabriel reassures her with these words: "For with God nothing will be impossible" (Luke 1:37 RSV). 

What seemed impossible, even improbable, is possible  with God.  This is not the first time we've heard a promise like that. Centuries before this God promised Abraham and Sarah that they would become parents. This was many years after they had received their Medicare cards. They're told this: "Is anything too hard for
the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14 RSV).

We're living in a time filled with much fear. None of us are free of fear of some kind right now. We have our questions. Some are saying we should simply go on with life as normal and are, for example, continuing to hold church services. That is not faith, it is presumption. It is not believing in the God of the impossible it is believing in belief or faith itself apart from trusting in the God revealed to us in Jesus.

Look at Mary. She had to wait and see how God's promise to her would be fulfilled. She had to tell Joseph. They had to travel to Bethlehem. It took months to see how something that seemed so impossible would be worked out in their lives and then throughout her life she saw how God fulfilled these promises in Jesus.

And so we wait in faith. We know the God of the impossible is at work right now. That is one reason we pray for healing and for those who lead us and for those on the front lines of attacking the virus. Right now things seem impossible. But with the eyes of faith we know the God of the impossible is at work. Like Mary we trust and wait.

Grace + peace,
Clay+

Photo above of a fresco: The Annunciation of Mary, located in St Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv Ukraine, c 1037-1044.

Living in Plague Times by Philip Yancey

Here is a blog post recommended by Pastor Clay. It's by author and journalist, Philip Yancey with some perspective and Biblical references for today's pandemic. The post includes some good links for good and accurate information on Covid-19, and perspective on how to cope and handle these times. Please check it out.

Living in Plague Times by Philip Yancey

The Body of Christ and the Virus

"Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it."  Corinthians 12:27 NRSV

On the way to the church (I'm at the office for a bit this afternoon, but still keeping my distance) it occurred to me how much I've missed everyone this week. Since I started treatments I've had several times that I've had to practice an early form of "social distancing." Most of it was simply staying home because all those medicines had knocked me down and out. Now with my immune system down, too, I've been watching where I go and how I interact with others. Elbow bumps, not handshakes, for example. Then the virus came and all of us went home. It's a strange time.

And yet Paul says we are the body of Christ. Whether we are gathered together each week or out and about or at home: we are Christ's body. Notice he does not say someone else is. No it is us, you, all of us. As he says, "we are individually members of it." Paul says this right after insisting that each member of the body is vitally important for the health of the body. One part of the body is an important as any other part of the body (I Corinthians 12:14-26). We need each other for the body of Christ to function where we are in ministry together.

So that is one reason why Christians have gathered to worship, serve, eat, share, pray, give, sing, listen, care, study, and a host of other things together as one body. We need each other and in a time of being "distant" from one another we need others even more. So how do we do this?

Social media is helpful. Sending an email is, too. I'm using it a lot more this week to stay in touch with you. Calling is another way. After my treatments next week I can't say how much I'll be able to be in touch. We'll see how it goes.But there is no replacement for real human interaction that is face-to-face. But for now this and other means of keeping in touch will have to do.

I hope you have accepted Bishop Lewis' invitation to pray each day at noon. If that is or was not a good time for you, pray any time for all those who are dealing with the virus and for healing and a cure. I pray for those who lead us each day, for those on the front lines like physicians, PAs, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, nurses, CNAs, all those who are support staff, work in medical or hospital offices, police, fire and rescue, and so many others. Our son works in a grocery store in New Bern, NC. He says they have been so, so busy. He's the person behind the counter who checks out your groceries. Thank people like him for being there. And again, I think of Dr. Tony Fauci and Dr. Francis Collins, two scientists and physicians with the NIH who are hard at work for all of us. 

In the fellowship of our Lord,

Clay+

Bishop Sharma Lewis: Pray at Noon Every Day

The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (NIV) Prayer is essential to sustain our faith and Jesus Christ modeled a life of prayer.

I would like to thank several of you that have suggested a corporate prayer time for the Virginia Annual Conference. I am very blessed to lead an annual conference that believes in the power of the petitioned prayer!

Please join me at 12 noon every day and pray the printed prayer below. Let us invoke the power of the Great Physician to do a mighty work in eradicating this disease all over the world.

Peace and Blessings,

Bishop Sharma D. Lewis

Almighty God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

We thank you for your blessings, past, present and future. You are our rock and the source of our hope in all things and at all times. As Jehovah Jireh, our provider God, we ask you this day to stretch out your mighty hand and eradicate from the face of the earth forever this virus called COVID-19 (coronavirus) that is spreading rapidly from continent to continent. We also pray that you, Jehovah Rapha, our healing God, would place your hand upon all of those who have been stricken by this virus and restore them to full health. Be with those who have lost loved ones and are grieving. Protect all who are caring for those with this virus and keep them from contracting it themselves. Calm our fears and provide us with your peace that surpasses all understanding. Strengthen us with the joy of the Lord and help us to hold firmly to the hope that only you can provide. Unify us that we, the Virginia Annual Conference, may be able to experience anew the promise of your presence in and through the unity of our faith, hope and trust in you in the days ahead and forever. We offer this prayer in the mighty name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Grace UMC and the Virus

Beloved of God,

Bishop Lewis has closed all VA Conference UM churches through March 29th. Since we are not to conduct meetings of more than 10 people that pretty much keeps us from having any meetings until further notice. If an emergency arises and a decision needs to be made we can poll everyone by email. That's my suggestion, if anyone has other ideas, please let me know. This is new territory for all of us. We need to be kind to one another. Everyone is so stressed or anxious. We're all adapting and improvising. Pray for all in leadership. We are trying to practice a nimble flexibility with all the information we are receiving.

Also, church expenses continue. Please mail your gifts [PO Box 61, Middletown VA 22645] to us or use PayPal. [Here is our PayPal link Or make your donation using your own bank online system] If you have any questions contact Carolyn Bell.

I am well aware that not everyone has email and that not everyone is on social media. I have reached out by phone to several of our members who have an illness or recent surgery. Let's all of us do that in some way. The US Postal Service is still running (I have more books on the way!) so send a card, too. I've received so many lately and they mean a lot. Interestingly enough none (!) have been identical.


And keep praying. I've been praying for all of our leaders. I've been so very impressed with Dr. Tony Fauci, haven't you? I'm so glad he is on the virus team. He's 79 and runs three miles a day! Pray for him and first responders, nurses, CNAs, physicians, office personnel, for all who work is health care in any way. As the weeks go by we're going to need them more and more.

I will be having a CT Scan Thursday. Dr. Ingram wants to see how things look after four rounds of treatments. Lisa will take me. Next Monday and Tuesday I will resume treatments for Round 5 if my blood counts permit it. I really want to get this one and the next one over with. Round 4 really took the wind out of my sails and I am ready to be done. But this virus has added a new dimension to my treatments. I have to be very careful going out. So that's why I am hardly going out at all. While Lisa can take me to my treatments next week since school is closed she is not allowed to stay. So that will be different and not quite as fun (did I really say that?!) as the other times she or Charlie have taken me. But the staff there will take really good care of me. They are wonderful, a blessing. I can't say enough good things about Dr. Ingram and everyone at Shenandoah Oncology.


Here's a passage of scripture I've been thinking about lately. It's from one of my favorite psalms. I quote from the RSV which remains one of my favorite translations along with the NRSV & NIV. For the Psalms the RSV shines brightly and is only rivaled by the KJV. Take these words to heart. Pray them during this anxious time.

"For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us." Psalm 62:5-8 RSV

Grace + peace,Clay+