March 13, 2020
Beloved siblings in Christ,
Out of an abundance of caution and in response to Governor Hogan’s state of emergency declaration, Bishop Easterling has advised us not to gather in our church building for two weeks. Because of this, Lansdowne UMC’s regular in-person worship service and church activities are suspended until March 28 at this time. I have been communicating with our district and conference offices and keeping track of state and local developments, and I will provide regular updates via email and Facebook regarding church activities.
Since Lent began, we’ve been engaging in a season of selah, a time of rest and self-examination, and a time to be intentional about the way we live our daily lives. For some, that has meant fasting and giving something up. In that respect, we can approach this intentional time apart as a spiritual discipline. It is a fast from our routines and the parts of daily life we take for granted. It means choosing to sacrifice our plans and fast from some of our most cherished rituals and events for the greater good, even if it is inconvenient for us.
However, this time apart also means that some will be living in a more isolated situation with fewer visitors and less time out in public. It may mean a decrease in income if your company isn’t paying you to stay home. It may mean children don’t have the same access to meals or activities that they do while school is in session.
But beloved, God is still with us today and always, and God is still working in the world! Now is the time when we must live out our call to be the hands and feet of Christ. Please check in with loved ones, neighbors, and friends. Our more vulnerable and elderly members may need help with errands or shopping from those of us who are at less risk. Take a look at the latest church directory and call someone you might not normally reach out to, or send a card to a person you’ll miss seeing this week. I will be posting devotions and other content on Facebook, and I invite you to engage in the comment section with your thoughts and perspectives.
If you or someone you know needs help with food or other critical needs, please contact me directly (pastoremily@lansdowneumc.org or by phone/text at 410-231-3447) as the office phone will not be monitored as often as it typically is. If you have prayer requests, please send those my way too and include if you want them shared with the congregation. I will send out a list of prayer requests on Sunday morning via email so we can all be in prayer together.
For Sunday, if you would like to worship via livestream, I invite you to worship with Whittier UMC in Whittier, NC, where services are not suspended this weekend. They will be streaming their 11 am service on Sunday, and the feed will open at 10:55. You can join them through their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WhittierUMC/ or if you don’t use Facebook, you can visit https://zoom.us/s/116471447 and access the same feed (you may need to click “yes” to download the Zoom app on your computer). Pastor Jo is a dear friend of mine and I am looking forward to this opportunity to hear her preach! Alternatively, I have prepared a “worship from home” packet that is available as a Google Doc at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KbC2YCO2W1g9ZolhRNq969jv-ySJoM0IX1FFfkjUIuM/edit?usp=sharing. There are paper copies available at the church as well; they are in a blue plastic box outside of my office door accessed from the parking lot.
In all of this, let us recall the words of Psalm 46:
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea.
“Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. (Ps 46:1-2, 10-11)
Hold fast to the knowledge that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV). We are a family that will continue to love one another and pray for one another like we always do, and the Lord of hosts is with us.
In Christ,
Pastor Emily
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