May 28, 2020

“So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 17For this slight momentary afflic-tion is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, 18be-cause we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.”

II Corinthians 4:16-18 – NRSV

Easier said than done sometimes – not losing heart. Life can be a chal-lenge at the best of times, moving through this journey at this time is “different.” What is heartening, for me, are the ways we continue to be family and do ministry even though we cannot gather together physically. Some of us are being pushed into discovering new ways of working and being together. These are lessons, if we are wise, we will take with us as we begin to move back toward real interaction. Bible study continues to happen, as well as worship, prayer times, and youth gatherings. There are places that need our attention but we continue to work on these areas as well.

As we move into summer and look at the activities where we have traditionally gathered as a group, again, we need the wisdom of the ages. For Christian Education, this includes not only Vacation Bible Camp and the Church Re-treat, but also the Christian education opportunities for our children, youth, and adults that take place each Sunday.

Working together, we continue to be a church family and celebrate and recog-nize our achievements at this challenging time. In light of that I want to remind us that June 14 will be promotion/graduate recognition Sunday. To help make this time special, I am asking that those being recognized will send us a pic-ture that we can share with the congregation during worship.

In encouraging us to “not lose heart,” the scripture text does not discount reali-ty, “wasting away,” but in acknowledging our present reality we are encour-aged to consider the eternal. As much as we long for and look forward to the time when we can be together, let us all appreciate the ways we are still able to be with one another, and let us continue to encourage one another during these “different” days.

Growing Together in Christ,
Pastor Carolyn