03 Sep Not Taken For Granted….
September 4, 2020
Dear Friends,
Even in the most challenging of times, there are gifts and blessings. One of the gifts from COVID-19, I believe, is that we are more aware of things that can sometimes become invisible in the normal rush of life. Because they are always there, in the background, we are prone to forget to pay attention. As one of the Calvary faithful emailed me recently, “I will never take in-person worship for granted again!”
I can’t help but wonder if a lot of students—and especially their parents—are more grateful than ever for the privilege of school and learning. We have a renewed appreciation for how hard teachers work as well as all the people who support the education of our children, from administrative staff to bus drivers to custodians to librarians.
We’ve been reminded of the critical jobs that ensure that we, as a nation, eat. Up and down the supply chain, from farmers to truckers, from tractor suppliers to immigrants who pick fresh produce to clerks who stock store shelves, legions of people, services and miles are necessary to put food on our tables.
I certainly have renewed gratitude for people who care for the elderly or those who are sick. There’s nothing quite like a global pandemic to drive home our dependence on our medical community. Prior to 2020, I can’t say that I realized the need to regularly pray for and support the people who do medical research. That has changed.
This is true for life in the church, as well. As I set up the communion table this week in preparation for Sunday’s service, I realized how much I miss our Communion Guild! After changing the paraments to white, laying out the tablecloth and arranging the chalice and plate, I made a beeline to my office where I wrote myself a note to remember to buy the bread. Last month I forgot it which necessitated an early Sunday morning run to the grocery store! Not exactly the way I like to start the Sabbath, but without the Communion Guild to keep things running smoothly, a pastor is left to her own devices and not always with great results. Ladies, I miss you and appreciate you and am going to be soooo happy when you are back!
What and who would make your “not to be taken for granted” list? One way we can redeem these weird, crazy days is to pray for and thank people we might otherwise fail to acknowledge. We can “hear” our sense of being unsettled and out of rhythm as a nudge from God’s Spirit to look outward and notice someone we can bless.
Yours for the Kingdom,
Michelle
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