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Open Thread
Welcome to the Community Bulletin! In this open thread, you’re invited to share what’s been on your mind.
Comments are open, so feel free to post an update below. You can share anything — thoughts, poems, questions, what have you. Just come on in and start a conversation.
Hello everyone,
I wanted to participate in our new discussion forum, and thought I would follow Bill’s post in a sense by sharing what has been helping me to stay focused on my faith during the isolation of COVID-19. Like Bill, my husband and I find great peace and clarity as we walk and hike through local trails. God is “in all things and through all things,” and we feel God’s presence especially in those moments.
I’ve also been taking the time to practice a weekly examen and to set daily intentions and priorities. I’ve found the Sacred Ordinary Days planner I purchased several months ago to be indispensable in keeping me aligned with the liturgical year even while we worship at a distance. If you’re looking for a way to encourage yourself, I would recommend trying a sample of the planner (searching for Sacred Ordinary Days on Google should bring you to their webpage).
I also want to send a thank you to everyone who has worked to keep church services and groups available by streaming. I also want to extend a message of love and support to Father Simon and his family during this time, in case they happen to read this. You are all in our prayers.
God bless,
Sheena and Dakota Maness
Lee and I have been talking about ways we can reach out to support Father Simon and his family, knowing they are in a challenging time and yet respecting their preference to keep their situation a closely held. We can reach out in prayer, but that may not be sensed by others in our church community. We can reach out with messages that need no feedback, especially since the family has indicated that they would not be replying for the time. As time passes, we want to keep our imaginations in check, and our concerns at a peaceful level.
I’m taking part in the Men’s Breakfast group Zoom meetings, and find it to be the most relevant aspect of fellowship. Not that it replaces worship, but that it contains direct feedback of how we’re dealing with the isolation presented by Covid-19. We’re also doing a little more hiking than usual, and finding solace in nature that reminds us of the continuity of life, and a reminder of how our entire ecosystem is a part of God’s grand design.
Bill Gellatly and Lee Sherman
Hi! I thought I’d give this a try.
The kids are on the verge of being out of school, and champing at the bit for summer break. We harvested many tubs of strawberries and cherries this week, trying to beat the birds to it. The freezer is filling up!