For Such A Time as This May 19, 2020 – Dennis Lohr

To the Good Folk of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren,

Londonderry Village Needs More Face Masks!

Dear Pastors and Friends of Londonderry Village,

We are once again asking for hand sewn masks to be sent to our campus. Since we are now supplying masks to our Independent Living residents our current supply has dramatically been challenged.  And, we are discovering that the original supply of masks sent to us are showing significant signs of wear and tear, due to daily hot water washing.

Please spread the word that we are accepting donations of home-made face masks in order to keep our staff and residents safe. 

A link to the CDC approved pattern is below.  Please pre-wash materials in HOT water prior to creating the masks.

Please box them and mail them to:

Jennifer Ginder RN/NHA, VP of Health Services
Londonderry Village
1200 Grubb Road
Palmyra PA  17078 

https://mcusercontent.com/666e79dab52e023f44071e767/files/3fd76495-080c-4d7d-8c1e-33c7a80901af/CDC_Approved_PPE_Masks.01.pdf

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.

Thank You: 

To all who call others to check in on them and share our emails and devotions.

Today’s Devotion:

I have written today’s devotion.  I hope it brings encouragement and offers a path to laughter for you.

Shalom,
Dennis

Scripture – Ecclesiastes 3:4b

… and a time to laugh…

Thoughts:

I’ve been in my office most of today.  The building is quiet.  On the wall behind my desk is a painting known as “The Laughing Jesus.”  It was a gift from our dear friends, Bob and Judy Musch, from the Easton congregation.  They gave it to me to celebrate our friendship which included many laughter filled moments as we spent time together eating, canoeing, crabbing, debating politics, worshiping, water skiing, etc…  I’m a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan.  We returned from a trip one time, when Bob and Judy kept our dog Dusty, to find that they had dressed Dusty in a Washington Redskins doggie sweater.  I can still hear Bob laughing today.  It is a favorite memory when we get together.

It’s easy these days to get sad, discouraged, depressed, a bit irritable.  You can’t really command someone to laugh.  But the preacher in Ecclesiastes reminds us that laughter is appropriate.  In fact, he describes it as a gift from God.  Numerous times he writes, “I know that there is nothing better than for mortals to be happy, to eat and drink, and enjoy themselves as long as they live.  It is God’s gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil.”  Ecclesiastes 3:12-13.  Laughter is healing and life giving. 

Some curmudgeons point out that there is no report of Jesus ever laughing in the scriptures.  This is true, but irrelevant.  Of course Jesus laughed.  I imagine his joy over a well delivered pun or a cleaver parable.  I imagine his laughter when the children bombarded him with their hugs.  I imagine his joy, indeed his holy laughter, when he saw the light of insight dawn in someone’s eyes or saw someone reach out in love to a stranger, an outcast, or an enemy.  I imagine him laughing with his disciples as they recounted the odd moments of the day, before falling asleep.  I think he laughed when Bob dressed Dusty up in…  well…? yes, even then too.

If the gloomies have set in, that’s okay.  The preacher in Ecclesiastes also says that “there is a time to mourn.” The scriptures also say, “weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5.  Indeed, as the preacher says, “For everything there is a season.”  If you’ve been down, and are ready to come back up, turn off the news, watch a comedy, call a friend that has an upbeat spirit, share some good memories, laugh together, tell a good joke, or ask me for one.  Be well!  😊

Prayer:

May the radiance of your joyful spirit, O Lord, shine upon us.  May the thought of your laughter lift us.  May the joy of good times and good friends and good blessings feed us.  And may our lifted spirits, joy laced hearts, and sometimes silly and playful ways, bless others.  In Jesus name.  Amen.