WEEKLY RECTOR’S MESSAGE – March 22nd – Fr. Thomas
What a Lent this has turned out to be. In a season meant to prepare us for the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, instead people are on the “edge of their seats” because of the COVID-19 virus, and not “in the seats” here at church. Is there any good news to reassure us? Well, for what it’s worth, we know what the virus is, we can test for it, and we know it can be contained, catching it is not that easy as long as we are careful and follow best sanitary practices, young people are at a very low risk, people are recovering from it, and vaccine prototypes exist. So where is God in all this? What message do we have for the world to speak to the anxiety and fear which exists as a result of the epidemic? If it’s any help, we are offering live-stream broadcasts of our regularly scheduled Stations of the Cross service on Fridays on our Face Book (which later will be posted on our website) and a special devotional on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. https://www.facebook.com/SaintDavidsInThePines/
I’m in no way minimizing the gravity of the situation, but we survived the H1N1 virus (Swine Flu) in 2009 which killed 12,469 in the USA alone (out of a total of 60.8 million cases), SARS in 2003-04, and MERS in 2012; and God willing, we’ll get through this crisis as well. God doesn’t want people to suffer, but He gave us the freedom to do the right thing ( or the wrong things) when He created us.
So what can we do to stay connected, even while we practice “ Social Distancing?” We can worship through social media, i.e. broadcast of worship on our Face Book page. Another link is “The Daily Office” https://www.missionstclare.com/ which makes available the services of Morning, Noonday, Evening Prayer, and Night Prayers (Compline). In the event that one is quarantined, remember that God is still with us, even in those still quiet moments of our day, that sacred solitude, particularly appropriate during Lent. And how can we stay in touch with those who are living in isolation? We can send cards, bake a casserole or tasty dish to deliver, and stay connected in whatever ways are available. And most importantly, continue to say our prayers. Here are a couple below which I hope you’ll find helpful during these stressful times. God bless you all, and also, don’t forget that our church still has financial obligations. One can either mail in a check, or pay online or through your bank as directed below in the announcements.
Lord Jesus Christ , Son of the Living God, Physician of the body and soul, You restored sight to the blind, healed the lame and cured those with leprosy. Grant, we beseech You, the necessary knowledge and perseverance to all who are working on a vaccine to quickly end the spread of COVID-19. Have mercy on those who have died, and grant comfort to all who are affected in any way and those who are living in apprehension. Give us the grace each day to trust in You and Your loving mercy. We ask this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Keep us , good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy in this time of uncertainty and distress. Sustain and support the anxious and fearful, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may rejoice in your comfort knowing that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
This Week at St. David’s:
Urgent Message – By order of our Bishop all services will be cancelled beginning Sunday, March 15 th and continuing until Monday, March 31 st. In case of a pastoral emergency, you can leave a message on our voice mail and someone will respond as quickly as possible. Please continue to pray for an end to the COVID-19 virus and its victims and thanks for your continued financial support (check, automated bank transfers or electronic donations via www.myeoffering.com or click on the ‘donate’ button on FB) to the life and witness our congregation in this community.
Outreach –accepting donations for the ministry outreach of feeding the homeless at St. George’s on Wednesday, March 25 th at 5:00 p.m. in Riviera Beach, contact Joyce Parker for details.
Donations – Easter flowers to adorn the altar and decorate the Church, deadline to submit is April 5 th
For your convenience, you may bookmark the links below to our new website and Facebook pages…simply click on the link below or copy & paste the URL into your browser, then you may add it to your favorites or bookmark them to your internet online top active bar for quick and easy access….
