Music Relection: The Human One

This morning I offer you a poem of John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892), a Massachusetts journalist and anti-slavery campaigner. His work continues to find a place in modern hymn-books, far beyond the boundaries of the Religious Society of Friends.

Dear Lord and Father of mankind

Forgive our foolish ways!

Reclothe us in our rightful mind,

In purer lives thy service find,

In deeper reverence, praise.

In simple trust like theirs who heard

Beside the Syrian sea

The gracious calling of the Lord,

Let us, like them, without a word,

Rise up and follow thee.

O Sabbath rest by Galilee!

O calm of hills above,

Where Jesus knelt to share with thee

The silence of eternity

Interpreted by love!

With that deep hush subduing all

Our words and works that drown

The tender whisper of thy call,

As noiseless let thy blessing fall

As fell thy manna down.

Drop thy still dews of quietness,

Till all our strivings cease;

Take from our souls the strain and stress,

And let our ordered lives confess

The beauty of thy peace.

Breathe through the heats of our desire

Thy coolness and thy balm;

Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;

Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,

O still, small voice of calm!

The musical selection, this morning, is entitled, The Human One. This piece was commissioned and written for the String Trio, Musica Harmonia, in 2015 and was premiered during the Shenandoah Valley Bach Music Festival in Harrisonburg, VA.  The Human One read as Son of Man in many translations of the Bible, is from a common Greek word, anthropos, meaning human being. This humble work is a meditation on the deity of Jesus with human appearance, characteristics, and challenges. The Human One is God come to earth, made flesh, to live among us within the human experience. 

May you find peace,

Ryan Keebaugh
www.ryankeebaugh.com

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


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A Message from Bishop Sharma D Lewis: Work Group to recommend guidelines for opening

May 9, 2020

Dear Virginia Conference,

May the Lord be with you and keep you. It is a wonderful day to be a United Methodist. I know that Virginia United Methodists are longing for the return to in-person worship. One of our highest priorities must be loving our neighbors through ensuring the safety of those who attend our services. As we reported this week, a work group of church leaders, medical professionals, and legal professionals have been working hard to provide guidance to help us go back to in-person worship safely. On Friday morning, the Cabinet reviewed a draft of their work and we are preparing a list of frequently asked questions this weekend.

Friday afternoon, Governor Northam announced that he may loosen the restrictions related to in-person worship on May 15, 2020. Our timetable, as United Methodists, will be phased. I will allow Drive-In worship to begin on May 24, 2020 for all churches under strict guidelines that will be released by May 15, 2020. I will also authorize some test churches (we will call them “pioneer” churches) to open on May 24, 2020 with no more than 25 people in attendance under strict guidelines that will also be released by May 15, 2020. These pioneer churches will provide much needed data for the churches in our various districts on how to open safely.

Please continue to be in prayer for those who are affected by COVID-19 and those working hard to care for them. Pray as well for those who are extending themselves to serve at great risk and great cost. Whenever we return to worship, we will have stories to tell of God’s goodness and provision in this crisis.

Peace and Blessings,

Bishop Sharma D. Lewis

A Message from Bishop Sharma D Lewis

April 14, 2020 Dear Virginia Conference, I hope you and your families had a very blessed Easter celebration. Let us remember that our hope as believers is in Jesus Christ. Though our Easter services looked quite different this year, I hope that, especially in this challenging time of a global pandemic, you heard the Easter story anew and, with confidence assured in the resurrected Christ, said, “Alleluia! Christ IS risen!” Thank you to our pastors, church staff and volunteers who are continuing to find creative worship opportunities through livestream, phone, print and many other communications avenues, so we can worship, promote fellowship and do the mission of the church. The commitment of so many of you to be flexible and to take on the challenges that COVID-19 presents empowers us to do God’s work effectively and SAFELY. It brings joy to our congregants, communities and the heart of God. And we must persevere. Governor Northam’s statewide stay-at-home order is in effect until June 10. As such, in-person worship cannot take place until June 11. If the Governor’s executive order is rescinded or revised before June 10, we will re-evaluate the status of in-person worship. In-person, “drive-thru” or “drive-in” worship services on or off Virginia Conference property remain canceled until further notice. I ask that our Virginia Conference clergy and laity stay the course by continuing to observe social distancing, proper hygiene and follow the stay-at-home directive. This is not an easy time for any of us, but in Christian love we need to look out for our vulnerable communities and do our utmost to decrease the strain on our healthcare system and emergency services. It is hard not to be able to meet in-person as a community of faith, but we know God is not the church building. God is so much more than a building. For information about conference resources, ways churches are staying connected, church offerings and much more, please visit: https://vaumc.org/Coronavirus2020. May the promise of Easter remain with us during the pandemic and through the rest of our year. Peace and Blessings, Bishop Sharma D. Lewis

The Virginia United Methodist Center   PO Box 5606   Glen Allen, VA 23058 (804) 521-1100

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+

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+