For Such A Time As This 051620 – Karen Haldeman

To the Good Folk of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren,
 
Sunday Worship Service:
Tomorrow morning, around 8am, you will receive an email with a link to this Sunday's Worship service.  Our worship times in May will hopefully remind, challenge and encourage us as we continue this journey through a COVID-19 world.  This Sunday I will be preaching on the topic “Drawing Upon Our Investments.” The service includes some great music, a time of sharing, and prayers.  Please join us as we gather in spirit through our virtual worship service. 
 
Praying for Each Other
Everyone in our church is given a special day to receive prayers from their fellow Christians. Let us take a moment this week to hold the following persons in our prayers. 
 
Sunday – Paul & Carol Boll
Monday – Inez Cline
Tuesday – Donna Fawber-Via
Wednesday – Art & Nancy Gingrich
Thursday – Janet Hazel
Friday – Ellen Lebo
Saturday – Steve & Sue Meyer
 
Joys and Concerns
If you have a joy or concern you would like us to share and pray about, please call, text or email it to me.  If you would like it included in our Sunday Worship sharing and prayer time, please share it with me that week by Friday morning.
 
Prayers for:

• Jose’ Aponte, Jill Speicher, and Jean Summers
• My father, Michael Lohr, who has been hospitalized with pneumonia and congestive heart failure.
• For those alone in hospitals and those who have lost their jobs
• For all people, no matter what their circumstances, challenges, or joys

 
Joys:

• Jamie Walmer turns 20 tomorrow (Sunday)!Happy Birthday Jamie!

 
Thank You: 
To all who call others to check in on them and share our emails and devotions.
 
Today’s Devotion:
I am thankful to Karen Haldeman for providing today’s devotion. Karen reminds us to be grace filled.  If you wish to respond to Karen directly, her email address is kbhaldeman@verizon.net. 
 
Shalom,
Dennis
 
 
Scripture - Ephesians 4:28
Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.
 
Thoughts:
Today some might have called me "one of THOSE people." We were out of milk, so I drove to the store to pick some up. (Where we live north of Palmyra, it's not just around the corner.) When I arrived, I dutifully reached for the cloth face mask that I keep in the car, but realized it wasn't there.  I had washed it last night and forgot to bring it with me.
 
So now I was in a quandary: retrace my drive home to get it, or simply pull my sweatshirt hood over my nose & mouth for the 60 seconds I'd be in the store?
 
But the real issue I found myself facing was whether I would be subject to shame or "the look" from others in the store because I was not wearing a standard mask.
 
I chose the sweatshirt hood option this time, and thankfully, I didn't notice any looks. But the whole incident reminded me that we don't know what's behind another person's decisions--during this pandemic or any other time. Hear me out: I think it's important to reasonably protect ourselves and others from this and other viruses. But "reasonable" may look different for me than it does for you. What may seem reasonable to me might seem extreme or cavalier to you, or vice versa.
 
So today, I want to be "one of those people" who offers grace instead of judgement. Heaven knows we could use some these days.
 
Prayer:
God of grace, protect my mind and my mouth from being quick to judge someone only by what I can see and hear on the surface.  May my words and actions give grace to those who hear me.