"For Such A Time As This” - PCOB Announcement And Devotion For 3/28/2020
To the Good Folk of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren,
We previously announced that all church events were cancelled through the end of March. We are now extending that through next Sunday, April 5. In all likelihood our cancellations will be extended through Holy Week and Easter Sunday, but we are waiting a few days to make that decision final.
Tomorrow morning, around 8am, you will receive an email with a link to this Sunday's worship service. The service has been prerecorded this week, and continues our Lenten journey "Guided by Women," with the sermon by Audrey Finkbiner. Many will remember Audrey as our former Pastor of Congregational Care. Once again, this service speaks to our current situation with the coronavirus. We hope it will be a blessing to all.
Today’s devotion is written by Karen Haldeman. Her references to cold, kindling, spark and flame are not only empowering for these days, but also for today’s cool and rainy weather. Thank you, Karen. If you wish to respond to Karen directly, her email address is kbhaldeman@verizon.net.
Shalom,
Dennis
Scripture - 2 Timothy 1:7
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”
Thoughts
We’ve been asked to do some hard things lately. For the benefit of all, we are supposed to stay away from friends and places that give meaning to our lives. We’ve been asked to refrain from hoarding food and supplies so that others may have some. Many of us have been told to not come to work, thus sacrificing income and resources needed to care for our families. There may be more difficult decisions to be made in the days to come.
This requires us to do some hard work of thinking creatively and courageously. We could use a hefty dose of courage to be positive, to love those around us, and to respond wisely and thoughtfully to each day’s challenges. Here is part of a blessing prayer for courage that may remind us to courageously hang in there:
When the light around you lessens
And your thoughts darken until
Your body feels fear turn
Cold as a stone inside…
Close your eyes.
Gather all the kindling
About your heart
To create one spark.
That is all you need
To nourish the flame
That will cleanse the dark
Of its weight of festered fear.
(excerpt from “For Courage” by John O’Donohue)
Prayer
This prayer is said to be the original version of what we know as the “Serenity Prayer,” written by Reinhold Niebuhr in 1933:
“Father, give us courage to change what must be altered, serenity to accept what cannot be helped, and the insight to know the one from the other.”
May it be so. Amen.
Reminder:
If you know someone who does not have email, please call them and offer to read this email to them and share this devotion with them. And, check in on how they are doing.
We previously announced that all church events were cancelled through the end of March. We are now extending that through next Sunday, April 5. In all likelihood our cancellations will be extended through Holy Week and Easter Sunday, but we are waiting a few days to make that decision final.
Tomorrow morning, around 8am, you will receive an email with a link to this Sunday's worship service. The service has been prerecorded this week, and continues our Lenten journey "Guided by Women," with the sermon by Audrey Finkbiner. Many will remember Audrey as our former Pastor of Congregational Care. Once again, this service speaks to our current situation with the coronavirus. We hope it will be a blessing to all.
Today’s devotion is written by Karen Haldeman. Her references to cold, kindling, spark and flame are not only empowering for these days, but also for today’s cool and rainy weather. Thank you, Karen. If you wish to respond to Karen directly, her email address is kbhaldeman@verizon.net.
Shalom,
Dennis
Scripture - 2 Timothy 1:7
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”
Thoughts
We’ve been asked to do some hard things lately. For the benefit of all, we are supposed to stay away from friends and places that give meaning to our lives. We’ve been asked to refrain from hoarding food and supplies so that others may have some. Many of us have been told to not come to work, thus sacrificing income and resources needed to care for our families. There may be more difficult decisions to be made in the days to come.
This requires us to do some hard work of thinking creatively and courageously. We could use a hefty dose of courage to be positive, to love those around us, and to respond wisely and thoughtfully to each day’s challenges. Here is part of a blessing prayer for courage that may remind us to courageously hang in there:
When the light around you lessens
And your thoughts darken until
Your body feels fear turn
Cold as a stone inside…
Close your eyes.
Gather all the kindling
About your heart
To create one spark.
That is all you need
To nourish the flame
That will cleanse the dark
Of its weight of festered fear.
(excerpt from “For Courage” by John O’Donohue)
Prayer
This prayer is said to be the original version of what we know as the “Serenity Prayer,” written by Reinhold Niebuhr in 1933:
“Father, give us courage to change what must be altered, serenity to accept what cannot be helped, and the insight to know the one from the other.”
May it be so. Amen.
Reminder:
If you know someone who does not have email, please call them and offer to read this email to them and share this devotion with them. And, check in on how they are doing.
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