A WORD FROM THE PASTOR….. For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
So here we are in the season of fall. The nights are getting longer, the leaves are falling rapidly from the trees, fields have been harvested or mowed in preparation for a time of rest… Halloween with memories of bags filled with candy, giddy children walking sidewalks in twilight, the adventure and fun of costumes and masks and “being” someone or something else for a while arrives this week. All seems the same – all seems different. Though the seasons change around us, we are still living in the season of COVID and the end of that season keeps shifting further away from our grasp. This election year has added to our uncertainties and anxieties about our personal and national future. Predictions of the weather foretell a “hard” winter – or a mild, wet one. No one seems to know, adding to uncertainty. It is a “season” of stress, tension, anxiety and we are all stretched further than we have ever been in our lives (at least most of us are).
Let me assure you all, that even in this season of challenge, at the church, we are moving ahead in faith that the future will be filled with God’s presence and with confidence that God’s will for us is always good. As we meet for worship, hold meetings, and provide necessary ministries to our members and the community, we are always stepping into “unknown” territory but we are adapting and adjusting. Here again, things are the same – but also different. Our worship, meetings and other ways of being together are both in person and remote. This is a challenge for us, but we are adapting and our worship participation averages between 40 and 55 users (with more than one participant per use in many cases which means our attendance is greater than pre-COVID), our meetings are well attended, and we are looking further into ways to use technology to help us connect. Our next challenge/opportunity is to find ways to connect for conversation and study groups, children’s Christian Education, and other small group meetings. This will be our focus for the next few months, along with figuring out ways to have rich and special worship during Advent and Christmas. We will have more information about this as things fall into place and as we get closer to the Season.
I want to thank you for your support during this “season” of change. Many of us are challenged by the uncertainty and anxiety of this time, but I am truly grateful for the ongoing attention to and support of UMD. Our finances are stable, our meetings have continued and major planning and much work has been accomplished or is in progress. We are stabilizing and gaining strength for the next “season”. God is truly blessing us with grace and leading us into a future that is filled with hope!
In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to be in touch and to help me to stay connected with you, especially in times of need. Though COVID means I can’t visit in the hospital or nursing homes and must be very careful about home visits, I am always available to talk with you by phone or email. Be certain that I pray for you, I love you and I need you to survive!
Peace,
Pastor Betsy
Pastor Ott is presently at half-time hours which means she will be in the church for Sunday worship and in the office on average two times a week, usually on days when there are meetings. Friday is usually sermon preparation day, at home.
Pastor’s Office hours this week: Tuesday 10/27, Wednesday 10/28
