For Such A Time as This June 5, 2020 – Bethany Hoffer

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

Announcements:

The Caring Cupboard has moved their weekly food distribution on Wednesdays, 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. to the Encounter Church during COVID-19. Food donations are still being received on the Railroad Street location on Mondays: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Wednesdays: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. & 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Fridays: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

We are putting together a Father’s Day slide show similar to but slightly different than our Mother’s Day tribute, as part of our virtual service.  You can help by sending us a:

• Video--Take a short video of yourself sharing a brief (one or two lines) memory or message about someone important to you.
• Photo--Send a photo of someone to add to the slide show (current or past photo)

Email or text your drawing or photo to Rachel at rwitkovsky@palmyracob.org by noon on Friday, June 19.

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

• For peace to follow justice in our country.
• Carol Hoke
• Linda Whitman

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 April 26th in her weekly Connect post on our website Youth Page.  If you wish to respond to Bethany directly, her email address is bhoffer@palmyracob.org .

Shalom, Dennis

Scriptures

Galatians 5:22

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy...

Psalm 30:5

For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. -

Thoughts

Joy, huh? We may find it difficult to find joy in this unpredictable season of our lives. There seems to be much more to be anxious about, sad about, angry about, or ambivalent about. Yet, we are called by the Holy Spirit to find joy and to bring joy to others.

As I was watching Daniel Tiger this afternoon with my 18-month-old, Daniels friend O the Owl become frustrated with a task he was doing. He said it was something that made him happy when it went well, but he was angry when it didn't. He wasn't sure how to feel. Then, his father came in and said something like, "I believe the word you are looking for is 'ambivalent'." Ambivalence is what you feel when you have mixed or contradicting feelings. I think that is where I am at often times these days.

I am grateful for a healthy family and a comfortable home - these are things that bring me joy! But I am also frustrated and anxious about not being able to do the things I once was able to do or be with the people that make me happy. I certainly have mixed feelings.

O's father’s advice was this - when you are torn between two different emotions, turn towards the one that makes you feel better. So, O decided to keep trying to do the thing that made him happy, even if it might sometimes be frustrating. I guess I should try to do the same. (Thanks, Daniel Tiger, for this cross-generational lesson!)

In the Psalm shared above, David is recovering from a deathly illness. He has experienced great pain and fear. Yet he turns to God, having faith that what he is going through will come to an end, and he will find joy once again. I pray that we are able to have that faith, too.

Prayer

Accepting God, thank you for loving us no matter how we feel.  When we get down, help us to focus on the things with give us and others joy.  Amen.