Friends,

We’re turning the page on April next week, and with that there may be some lessening of the shelter-in-place restrictions with which we’ve been living for several weeks now. However welcome these are, they are going to be gradually phased in meaning that we will likely continue to meet primarily online for some time yet. While we miss being together, we recognize the necessity of social distancing to stem the spread of the coronavirus and we gladly do our part in that effort as those who value life and seek the well-being of all.  

That said, I also recognize how challenging this time has been and continues to be for many in our congregation and community. What is beneficial for the many can be a burden for the few in number, which is pretty much all of us in our homes. This Sunday during our worship, we’ll hear from a teacher within our congregation with encouragement for parents who are feeling the pressure of guiding their children’s educational process in ways they haven’t previously encountered or envisioned. We’ll also be joined by Grace St. John, a local psychotherapist and parent educator with some direction for coping and navigating through this crisis.  

Our text this Sunday comes from Luke 24—it’s the story of the travelers to Emmaus with whom Jesus engages the day of his resurrection. We’ve considered this story deeply before, but in our time together I’m looking forward to drilling down on just a couple of interesting elements of this that reach across time connecting to us right now. Read ahead and see what you think.

Finally, our Friday Food Pack outreach is annually supported by an event called “Pack the Park,” which has typically been a 5K Fun Run. But that’s not possible right now, so Pack the Park has gone virtual this year. You can still participate in this way of raising funds for meeting the needs of children and youth in our local schools who live with food insecurity. Go to www.packthepark.org and register to submit a virtual expression of your activity—walk, skip, jump, bike, garden vigorously (!)—3.1 miles of activity or 60 minutes, all at once or spaced out over 7 days. The event begins May 1 and remains open until May 8. Our school families still experience food insecurity even, and perhaps especially during this pandemic . We can still help. Visit the website and find a way to participate. It starts next week!

We’re doing something new during the service this Sunday, BUT, you’re going to have to find out by being there. Hope you are there as we continue to pray God’s blessing and goodness for you.

Warmly,
—frank