News for the Church 11/20/20

Hello Everybody,

How are you holding up these days? Are you feeling grey and overcast today like the sky? Are you dragging across the finish line of the work week? Or are you holding together pretty well? 

Even when we are healthy, the pandemic takes more energy from us just to get through a regular day, so if you find yourself feeling extra tired right now, be gentle with yourself. 

Today there are just a few notes to mention: 

Last week I gave thanks for a couple of folks who worked on the church grounds, but I was missing the bulk of those who contributed time and effort. A big thank you to Bob Pickard for organizing the event, as well as Dave Wells, Roy Schaberg, and Neil Johnson. Thanks fellas! 

The Sunday after Thanksgiving, the Rev. Shaun Whitehead will be preaching and leading worship for us. Please plan to join us for worship that Sunday! 

Work is scheduled to be done on the Community Center by the Trillium entrance in the next couple of weeks. Pat Rhoda’s son Patrick, who owns Northern Seamless Gutters, will be installing a gutter system around that end of the building to draw water away from the entrance, which becomes dangerously icy in the winter. And Chris Wallace will be doing work on the door of that entrance, because it currently does not latch when it closes. I am very grateful to the session for staying on top of this project, and to all of those who have given money in the past, which is helping to pay for the work now. Thank you for your faithfulness to your church! 

Friends, if you are struggling to stay above water right now, remember this: we hold our faith together collectively. God’s kingdom is not made up of a collection of individuals. We are one whole body, and we need each other. When one part of us is aching and having a hard time, the rest of the body holds things together. 

Do you remember a while back, I told you a story about my farming friend Dulli, who is part of the Birdsfoot Community with me? 

I told you the story of a day when I was having a hard pain day and I couldn’t help out with a project, and Dulli told me, “Today I will work for you and you will rest for me.” Do you remember that?

That’s how God’s body of believers works. We hold each other up with the gifts we each possess. Sometimes those gifts are strong faith, which we use to cover over those who are struggling. Other times, the gifts we bring are our doubts and our troubles. 

Whatever we are, we bring to the body to share. 

If you are bringing your weariness, today I will be strength for you. Another day I may be the tired one, and need you to help hold me together. But for today, I will hold the faith line while you collapse for a spell. 

Ecclesiastes reminds us– 

     “Two people are better than one, for they get a better return for their work. 
     For if one flags, the other gives support; but woe to the solitary person who falls and has no one to provide support.
     And if two sleep together they keep each other warm;
how can a person stay warm while alone?
     One alone is easily overpowered; two provide protection for each other; 
     and a rope of three strands is not easily broken.”  

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

As Thanksgiving draws near– a day that will likely be hard for some of us– if you have extra positive energy to share with your brothers and sisters, offer it up. Hold the faith while someone else falls apart. And if you’re having a rough day, make sure you reach out to someone for help. It’s ok to say that you need some love and encouragement. A body needs to be able to communicate within itself, if it is to stay whole. 

Holding the faith line for us today,
Pastor Katrina