For Such A Time as This May 29, 2020 – Bethany Hoffer

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

Food Box Distribution This Saturday

If you or anyone you know is in need of food, 40lb boxes will be distributed this Saturday, May 30^th, from 10am to 12noon, at the Palmyra Area High School.  This is on a first come first served basis. 

Help Needed with Community Gardens

Hello everyone!  

You are invited to join the efforts at the community gardens again this growing season.  While we were unable to open the initial maintenance and planting work to the full volunteer group, we are excited to invite you to join us going forward, as we tend and harvest the garden throughout the summer.  

If you would like to contribute, please follow this link www.impact-palmyra.org to sign-up.  You will notice that the sign-up form is a little different this year.  We hope that this format will help to clearly communicate and divide the tasks.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. 

Thank you for your support.  I look forward to working alongside you again this summer.

Sincerely,

Lauren McAllister

Summer Melodies!

You are invited to participate in our 2020 Summer Melodies Series, blessing us during Sunday worship, starting June 21 through September 20.  The church welcomes solos or duets, instrumental or vocal (accompanied or acapella).  These can be recorded at church by arrangement with Jeff Clouser and Rachel Witkovsky or can even be recorded by you in your own home and emailed to Rachel.  Please keep your special musical offering to one or two people and if recording in person at the church please adhere to all the safety protocols set forth by the church.  If interested, please email Jeff at jclouser@palmyracob.org with your name, available date(s), song selection, arranger/composer, and the name of accompanist if using one.  Thank you.  Keep a Song in Your Heart, Jeff

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.

Pray for:

·    Cindy Weatherholtz’ son-in-law’s, Tim’s, Uncle Bud passed away last evening.  His Uncle Dave is home from the hospital and doing better. 

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 Bethany Hoffer for providing today’s devotion.  Bethany first shared this devotion on May 17th in her weekly Connect post on our website Youth Page.  Thank you, Bethany, for your ministry to and with our youth.  If you wish to respond to Bethany directly, her email address is bhoffer@palmyracob.org .

Shalom, Dennis

Scripture:

Galatians 5:22

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity...

2 Corinthians 9:6

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will alsoreap generously.

Thoughts:

It might seem difficult in these days of social distancing and stay-at-home orders to think of kindness and generosity. Don't you need to be around people in order to be generous and kind? While this is true in a sense, as I watch the news and pay attention to social media posts, I see so many ways that we can and should be kind and generous in these moments. I'm sure that you have noticed the divide created by political stances and parties as we try to figure out the best way to address this pandemic: are we being to cautious? Not cautious enough? Do I really need to wear a mask? Is it really helping for me to stay home and away from everyone I love? Who and what am I supposed to believe about all of this stuff?

These are difficult times. This thing is totally new to us. We are all still trying to figure it out. And I truly believe that there are people on each side of the divide who are just trying to do what they think is best. So my challenge to you is to be kind and to be generous.

Be kind to those who have different opinions than you do. It's easy to just get frustrated and angry when we don't agree. But Jesus example calls us to do the unexpected and offer kindness in return.

Be generous. Even if you don't think there is a benefit to wearing a mask, wear one anyway. Generosity involves thinking of others ahead of ourselves. When we wear our masks in public, we offer comfort and respect to those who need it, those who might actually have medical reasons for wearing it.

Every day we can find new and creative ways to offer kindness and generosity. Write a thank you note or bake some cookies and drop them at someone's door. Be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Prayer:

Kind and generous God, help us to be like you.  Amen.