This past Saturday marks the anniversary of the day the California shelter-in-place order was given. I remember, because that week had already been off to a weird start with the time-change, a full moon, and Friday the 13th. (Not that I’m superstitious or anything…..) I remember, upon hearing the news, how afraid I was that I wouldn’t be okay; that, as a single person living alone, that level of isolation for a significant amount of time would be unbearable. It also, frustratingly, changed everything about my job and even challenged many of my deeply held beliefs about our calling and life together as people of faith.
But, with time, and together, we found ways to be connected that were safe.
We found ways to worship together with integrity in our rituals and traditions.
We worked together to expand our vision of what was possible, and offered ourselves to the deeply uncomfortable and challenging task of trying new things.
And while none of it was what we wanted, in this season, too, we were blessed.
I pray that as we continue to discern and move toward hope-filled ministries beyond the pandemic, that we won’t forget our resiliency and capacity to meet challenges with creativity and courage. I pray that we will continue to keep the priorities of our community’s well-being and our care for the most at-risk before us even as our fears subside. I pray we will remember that it is our connection to one another that is more important than how or where we gather, and our faithfulness to God’s call that is more important than our comfort in the restoration of what has been.May we continue to seek the most faithful ways to live into God’s love together and for our community in this new season and beyond.
See you Sunday,
Pastor Darin
