Thoughts for These Times

Dear friends, It has been a joy to see many of you in person as our worship services have resumed.  Church life remains far from optimal, with our limited capacity and curtailed programs, together with the fact that many of you do not feel comfortable attending in person yet.  We also face unknowns about how the progress of the pandemic may affect our church.  Nevertheless, every inch toward normalcy makes me feel grateful! Pastor Steve and I have sought to … Read more

Dear friends, The American educator Horace Mann once placed this ad in a paper: “LOST, yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes.  No reward is offered, for they are gone forever.”   Time is something that can’t be recovered. Since this is so, how should we use what we’ve been given? The Apostle Paul tells us, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of … Read more

Dear church family, Who could have predicted the trials we’ve seen in 2020? We’re facing a global pandemic that has claimed many lives. Unemployment has skyrocketed, and millions of people are facing severe economic hardships, including food insecurity. And now, our country has been torn by the tragic death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of a white police officer. There aren’t words that can adequately express the grief, anger, and heartache many feel. Old wounds … Read more

Dear friends, During a trip to the grocery store, I noticed that the ice cream aisle was almost empty. Ordinarily there’s an abundance of flavors, presenting a challenging decision for an ice cream lover! Not so in my recent trip. The selection was sparse and the decision obvious. While ice cream isn’t essential, that aisle illustrated how I often take my food for granted. I assume there will always be lots of it available. Instead of assuming it will be … Read more

Dear friends, When riding the London Underground for the first time, I smiled when hearing this announcement coming over the intercom at each station:  “Mind the gap, please, mind the gap.”  It struck my American ears as a very genteel way to remind riders to watch their step when exiting the train.  No matter how you phrase it, of course, the reminder is appropriate.  Gaps can be tricky. More broadly, times of transition in life require special care.  We know … Read more

Dear friends, When I was young, I remember seeing a poster of a person dunking a basketball. Philippians 4:13 was written underneath – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” But that picture only captured one aspect of this verse. The picture could just as easily show someone getting his shot blocked instead. Jesus strengthens us to be content not only in success but also in trials. Consider the full context of Philippians 4:11-13: “…I have learned … Read more

Dear friends, Since mid-March I’ve had many of my plans interrupted. Some of this has been quite disappointing. Among other changes, we had to cancel a family trip to Luray Caverns I was looking forward to. I know I’m not alone. Field trips, graduation ceremonies, weddings, vacations, and many things we were looking forward to have been canceled or postponed. A giant question mark, if not a big red X, has been stamped over our summer plans. How should we … Read more

Dear church family, “Look out the window!”  I said this to Kelli the other day when I spotted a pileated woodpecker on the bird feeder.  (Here is Kelli’s photo.)  When we experience something remarkable, we like to share it with others – whether a beautiful bird or a funny video.  Somehow sharing it makes it more meaningful.  Whatever we admire, laugh about, or stew over – it feels undigested unless we tell somebody. Our urge to experience events in the … Read more

Dear church family, Marks on the walls really stand out when you start moving furniture.  Maybe you have noticed this when rearranging rooms as part of shutdown adjustments at home.  The scratches and smudges outlining the former position of a couch or desk may take us by surprise.  Suddenly the wall seems to beg for washing if not repainting.   What we thought would be a blank space turned out to be a dirty space. So it is with our … Read more

Dear Friends, Some shakiness and weakness showed up in my right hand the other day.  Immediately I began to think of diseases that might be the cause. Then I remembered that earlier I had been doing yard work involving repetitive motion with my right hand (using clippers, I think).  With relief, I pegged the shakiness to an ordinary case of muscle fatigue. Once I understood the cause, I could smile at myself and carry on.  At this moment, most of … Read more

Dear Friends, What’s the horizon of this shutdown?  It seems to keep expanding – two weeks, a month, two months, three months.  We have tried to stay positive –as we should! – about how God is working, what we are learning, and how we can serve others.  But now we plod into week three (or is it four?).  The cumulative strain of missed opportunities, contracted lives, financial hardships, and maybe illness among loved ones weighs on us.  We wish we … Read more

Dear Friends, Learning to lose gracefully is one of our earliest and hardest lessons.  As kids, when we lost at Sorry! or Chutes and Ladders, we may have wanted to flip the board in a rage.  Maybe sometimes we did!  Growing a little older, we had to learn to say “good game” to sports teams that beat us.  And as we have matured as Christians, we have grappled with what Paul said – “I know how to be brought low, … Read more

Dear Friends, Right now, in God’s providence, we have landed in a period of enforced isolation.  We no longer enjoy the face to face contact with friends in different spheres of our lives – particularly in church.  We miss meeting together as a body, shaking hands, hugging, singing together, taking the Lord’s Supper, and enjoying coffee and conversation in the fellowship hall.  This period of isolation comes with its challenges. (This video from me has some additional encouragement about our … Read more