Prayer of the Week:
“Wind of the Holy, Breath of unbounded life, knit together the bones of our resolve and prophesy to us when we are faint of heart or of faith. Unbind us from our fears, unwrap us from the tombs of ignorance and inaction. Even in the grave of our doubts, remind us of the life we have as gift from you, and the power of using it for others. For all those who suffer, Lord of healing, we ask your presence and your power to restore. For those who are keeping us well and safe, we beg for them your strength and the endurance to bring life from the valley of the shadow of death. Comfort those who mourn, we pray, and tend our hearts, overturning the temptations of despair to bring us all into glorious light.”
Grace and Peace to you, each one…
Dear ones, I send you this prayer that was offered during our Sunday worship and hope that you ARE being strengthened day by day for all that we are doing together to overcome the challenges before us. I’m aware that burdens fall unevenly. I’m painfully aware that some in our communities are already gravely affected by disease and restrictions to prevent more disease. Please reach out, hang on, and keep your heart strong. We are a community that knows how to care for one another and we will not rest easy until we are all safely tended. Here are some ways we are staying connected:
So how ARE you? Are you holding up? What can we hold in prayer for you?
Checking in on Each Other! To help share the love and know the needs, several members are now helping us call everyone in the church for a little personal outreach. My hope is that with your help everyone will give and get a few calls during the week. My thanks to those of you who have taken a list of people to check on! We need a few more to lighten the load, so if you wouldn’t mind to make some calls, please call the church office (986-3725) or email Rev. Carla Gilbert, who helping lead this vital care. If you’re not sure you can commit to a formal role, I encourage everyone to call two people every day: in the church, in your neighborhood. Let’s be the church and make sure no one is left behind or left without human contact!
Coffee with the Pastor: Tomorrow at 10:30am with Improved Security! Join me again for an informal check in, an update and camaraderie. You can use either phone or video or both. Last week our coffee hour was the victim of a “Zoombomb” attack which resulted in a group of approximately 20 malicious individuals attempted to take control of the meeting and share disruptive, pornographic, and hateful images and audio. We’ve taken steps to prevent a repeat of that! Please join me tomorrow morning if you are able. You’ll need to fill out a simple registration form with your name address and phone. One of the questions is something that most Union Church related folks will know. If you don’t know it, text or call me and I’ll make sure you get in to the meeting. Those names we don’t recognize, can’t verify, or are clearly false, will not be allowed in.
When: Apr 1, 2020 10:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/uJEqcuyurzouyJBWoiHpJJIQW1r7XWPcEw
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Holy Week Is Coming UP!
As you know, worship is all online and each week we are improving our ability. If you haven’t checked in on the service live on Sunday, you can always see the recording anytime during the week. Our viewership is going up and up, far exceeding what we were experiencing prior to the pandemic.
You can really help by sharing the service video on your social media pages. Clicking “like” or forwarding the video link helps others find us, and gives them a spiritual resource they might need. We’re working to make that easier and hope to update our webcast even more so we can be interactive during the live broadcast. We’ve already upgraded our camera, recruited some volunteers (at a good 6′ distance!) and are hoping you’ll watch. Here’s the link to the page: http:/union-church.org/live-broadcast
Here are Some Other Updates and Requests
- Interested in being a “Digital Deacon?”: In the bible the apostles appointed deacons to help make sure that community needs were met. Our Sunday community is now online and I’d like the same level of care and hospitality to prevail on our FaceBook and YouTube page as in our sanctuary. Digital Deacons would be moderators monitoring one of those pages in order to respond to comments, offer a greeting from a live person, and connect people to me or other services of the church. Interested? Call me, text me, private message me, email me!
- Holy Week at Home: Because of C19, there will be no in-person Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday or Easter Morning services. Palms and some “Healthy Holy Week at Home” materials will be will be available for pick up at a table outside of the church on Friday. (We will of course email the materials to everyone as well). Our videographers are already working on a special way to have a virtual group “hosanna!” If you’d like to participate, as soon as you can upload a short video of yourself or family saying “Hosanna!” to https://photos.app.goo.gl/1sodxwWgTaQibHWq9
- Covid-19 News: Economic Resources: The new stimulus package and expanded Kentucky benefits means that if you have lost work, whether or not you think you are eligible, you should apply for benefits. If you are a small business owner, there are also resources for you. Check the Kentucky Covid 19 page for the best information and beware of multiple scams asking you to pay money for these benefits. https://govstatus.egov.com/kycovid19
As the Governor has told us, we are truly in “crunch time.” The discipline we maintain for the next month we determine how many people will suffer and die. Those who follow Jesus must be committed to serving others. I know Union Church family and friends have that commitment and that discipline. Wash up, stay distant, don’t travel, don’t give up. These easy things could save thousands of lives in Madison County and I’m counting on you to be ambassadors of that message.
In great love,
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