Dear Friends in Christ,
Greetings in the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who is the Healer of our brokenness and the Prince of Peace!
It’s hard for me to get my head around the fact that it’s Labor Day Weekend! The summer has slipped by and the days are shortening as the weather begins to feel like fall. I don’t know about you but I’m savoring every moment I can of these days before we put our summer things away and bring on winter activities – which for me include a lot of book reading and planning for the holidays!
This week, classes are supposed to begin at DA and we are praying for the students and teachers here and across the nation as we face the challenge of teaching our children while keeping everyone safe. As you know, SUNY Oneonta has closed for the fall semester and the students have been asked to go home. This is a hard blow for them and for that community, as the income the students bring to stores and rentals and restaurants is lost. For the students and their parents, this is also a disappointment and a challenge as they try to figure out how the access their classes and manage life at home, again. This is saddest for those students who did practice social distancing and comply with safe protocols, whose education was interrupted by those who did not. I hope that we at The United Ministry are continuing to pray at 8 am and/or 8 pm, daily, for our nation and the world as the pandemic continues to impact the lives of children, youth, families, and the elderly. Please also pray for those who are facing recovery from storms, hurricanes, wildfires and other life challenges during this time. We need to remember that life goes on and things like sickness and suffering continue, even without the COVID crisis.
That said, don’t forget to give thanks daily for your blessings! We are still alive and mostly staying safe and well. We have enjoyed the connections that we have during this time and have even found new ways to stay in contact with others. We are learning the value of friends and family and loved ones in a new and more meaningful way than ever before. We have food on our tables and safe places to call home. And, we are re-opening our church for Sunday worship! Next week, September 13th, we will return to our sanctuary for our regular weekly service! It has been a long time since we’ve been together and it is reason to give thanks to God that we are able to gather, once again! As you know, some things will be different and our protocols, created to protect ourselves and others, will take some getting used to. But we will experience fellowship (from a social distance), and music (though without singing), and hear God’s word together with others. We will also celebrate Holy Communion. And we will, for the first time, provide live streaming so that people who don’t feel comfortable meeting in church or who aren’t able to be with us, can experience worship from home or by accessing the link on the website during the week. This allows more people to participate, including people who don’t feel safe meeting with others, those whose schedules don’t allow them to be present at the specific worship hour, and others who might just be “visiting” in search of a church to join. This is 21st century evangelism – and it is one of the benefits of this challenging time that we are adapting to! Praise God!
As far as other updates go, the trustees are finishing projects that will make the property and building safer and more inviting including: repairs to sidewalks and the back of the sanctuary wall, downstairs bathrooms, work in the Playschool, and completion of painting projects. The staff is working hard to be ready for our fall worship with projection and live streaming. The building is getting its final cleaning for reopening and the return of some use by outside groups. The Playschool is preparing for opening on September 14th with COVID protocols and equipment in place for the safety of students, teachers and families. Things are buzzing as we get ready to open our doors and welcome those who enter! Please keep us in your prayers during these busy days – as we pray for you, our community and the world during this time!
I look forward to seeing you but, as I’ve said before, I also understand if you choose not to be physically present at church. I hope you’ll be able to join with us in worship – from a distance. And remember – I love you and I need you to survive!
Peace,
Betsy
