CENTRAL UMC

Wash your hands, wear a mask, watch your distance and together we can slow the spread of infections.  Simple reminders with potentially profound results.  We could also add eat well, exercise, and educate yourself about ways you can build up your fitness and immune system before it ever comes to be tested.  Simple truths we are free to respond to.  Simple truths which some feel free to reject.

Followers of Jesus, the one who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, claim a relationship with Truth which is personal and dynamic.  This intimacy allows us the freedom to act within reality through the revealing light of Jesus.  Desires, falsehoods, harmful responses, and distorted facts do not have to enslave and trip up those who walk in this light.  Over time we begin to see clearly how the freedom to walk in this light means giving up the right to walk on the other paths which lead away from God’s truth and love.  Over time our faith leads to action which leads bodily engagement with all of our lives.  Over time, this leads to character which always responds with love and truth from our God to our neighbors.  In this moment, this means acting with love four our broader community.

There is some confusion about best practices and what the data all means as our community wrestles with the coronavirus. There is not confusion about the increased number of cases in our county and our state.  There is not confusion about more people dying.  Let us remember Paul’s words to the church, “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” Let us be a people who respond with love to our neighbors by creating spaces which care about them.  This includes not just proclaiming the truth of the Gospel but also not spreading misinformation. This includes minding all of the bodily lived out responses during this pandemic we can manage.  This means owning that the freedom to love our neighbor comes by bearing the responsibility of sharing public space and seeing our connections.

Here at Central this means continuing to follow the 3 W’s. This means staying home if any symptom or exposure has occurred.  This means making sure longer conversations with others here on Sunday morning occur outside (still at 6 feet please) or in areas to the side of the main flow of people.  This means checking out worship online some Sundays to keep our spacing possible. We still want to see each and every one of you on Sunday…and it is still good to socialize (physically distance) and gather – we also want to be sure our witness aligns with our love of neighbor.  So if you are able, say hello from online and chat with some of our new guests there while we work together to keep our coronavirus count down and keep our doors open. Continue to be awesome at checking in with one another throughout the week and offering encouragement.  And above all – pray…for all of us.

Friends, we are in troubled times, but we have a rock and we can endure.  We know the end of this story and the hope of Jesus’ victory (John 16:33).  Let us continue to love God, to remember the truth of his goodness the promises he has for us, to discipline our bodies to live this abundant life, and to be a people of Truth who love our neighbors well.  This morning a song from many years ago came on the radio as I was dropping the kids off to school.  I hope it speaks to you as it did to me this morning.

Shalom,

Pastor Joseph