Monday, April 19, 2021

A WORD FROM THE PASTOR….. “Instead be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, songs from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Ephesians 5: 18b-20 New International Version, bold lettering mine)

Dear Friends in Christ,  

I hope things are going well with each of you and that you are finding ways to safely resume some of the activities that were put aside during the hard, long winter months of the pandemic.  It is good to know that so many of us are now vaccinated and that the weather is warming so that we can socialize safely outside or in places with good air flow.  I’m cautiously enjoying the chance to see more friends and family following the time of “hibernation” and hope you are, too.   

As you know we plan to resume in person worship in the coming weeks, but will be waiting until the outside temperature is above 55 degrees on Sunday morning, so that doors and windows can be open.  Soon, I hope we can also enjoy fellowship time with coffee together – outside on the yard!   There is so much we can look forward to as we reclaim some of the social connections we’ve missed.  It will certainly be wonderful to worship together again!  I has been difficult for each of us to worship in small groups or alone (though our attendance numbers for remote worship have been very strong).  Still, Pat has had to play to an empty room and I found that recording worship was easier if I “imagined” you all in with me in the sanctuary.  I look forward to that time when we can see one another, face to face! 

While there is much to look forward to at this time, I regret that we still are not able to sing together.  As many of you know, before I entered ministry I sang professionally in churches and other locations all around the New York, New England and Pennsylvania area.  One of my great joys has always been singing and I know that you are also a “singing church”.  Yet, we are still getting guidance from Dr. Fauci and the CDC that singing remains risky as there is no way to sing without sending fine particles into the air.  These particles will carry COVID if a person is infected and there is a risk of infection to others if they breathe in any of these fine particles.  It is very important that our vaccination rate be as high as possible before we begin to sing together again, especially among the younger people who worship with us, since they are now experiencing the greatest rate of new infections.  So, in order to remain safe as we gather, we will continue to refrain from singing.  In the meantime, Pat and I will continue to find special music options for our worship services. 

As I reflect on this adjustment to our traditional way of worshiping with music and song, I find myself remembering how important music is to building fellowship and reaching out those outside our doors.  When I served in New York City, I often found people standing outside the glass doors of the church peering in to see what was going on inside.  One night, before an evening service, there was a young Asian woman standing on the front steps.  It seemed as though she wanted to come in but was hesitant.  As I talked with her I learned that she was from China and had never seen a church before her visit to the U.S.  She was curious and wanted to know more about church (Jesus) but thought it was for “members only”.  She told me she had heard the music playing and longed to hear more – and as I invited her inside – she was overcome with emotion and began to cry.  Though she was only visiting in New York for a brief time, I hope that she found her way to a place where music and a Christian community would welcome her, nurture her and build up her faith.  Clearly music and singing are an important part of connecting spirit to spirit – within and outside our Christian community of faith and it is hard to imagine what it would be like if we could never sing together again!   It’s interesting to find that Helen Keller once said that what she regretted the most about her inability to see and to hear was that she was, for most of her life, also unable to speak.  She wrote that she felt that her ability to reach out to people with her powerful messages of hope and inclusion was profoundly limited because she couldn’t easily communicate, verbally.  

Thinking about this challenge, I turned to the Bible to see what the scriptures have to say about ways we can connect with God and one another, without speaking and found the passage from Ephesians (see above).    Here Paul writes that we can sing from our hearts to God!  Now this can mean “heartfelt” singing, but I think Paul was also saying that we can sing in the internal silence of our own spiritual center.  Isn’t it possible that when we practice singing in that inner place, it deepens our spiritual connection with God and with one another so that when we can “open up” and physically sing once more, the singing will be even more wonderfully spirit-filled than ever before?  It’s something to ponder and to pray on as we continue to wait to raise our voices in songs of praise, once more.   So, as we wait a little longer to resume singing aloud, let’s practice and rehearse “heart singing” so that when we are together in song once again, it will be even more powerfully heart and spirit filled than ever before! 

In the meantime, stay safe!  You remain in my prayers….and remember, I love you and I need you to survive!

Peace,

Pastor Betsy 

CHURCH REOPENING:

We plan to resume worship as soon as the Sunday morning temperature is above 55 degrees.  This will allow us to open doors and windows for fresh air flow through the sanctuary.  We will still wear masks, maintain social distancing, and keep a record of those attending in case notification is needed should anyone present be infected with COVID.  PLEASE NOTE!  IF THE WEATHER IS FORECAST TO BE COLDER THAN 55 DEGREES ON SUNDAY WE WILL SEND A NOTICE OUT ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE WON’T WORSHIP IN PERSON!  ALSO, PLEASE CHECK THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE BEFORE COMING TO CHURCH!  The service will be available every week on line and recorded for remote viewing during the week.  If you need a DVD, please contact the office and a copy will be available for you on the Monday following the Sunday worship service! 

PASTOR’S SCHEDULE THIS WEEK 

Monday 4/19 Pastor has afternoon office hours & 6:30 pm – Church Council (remote)

Wednesday 4/21 Sermon preparation at home

Sunday 4/25 Worship at 10:30 A.M in person at church (weather permitting)

Monday, April 5, 2021

HAPPY EASTER!

Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:10 New International Version)

Dear Friends in Christ,
I greet you in the glorious name of Jesus Christ who has opened the doorway to the life eternal for us as he conquered sin on the cross and death through his glorious resurrection!

I think of bamboo as a quick growing plant that can overrun areas where it is planted as it spreads.  This may be true for the bamboo that grows around here, but there is a type of Chinese bamboo that takes a long time and a lot of patience to grow.  In fact, this type of bamboo must be planted carefully and watered/tended daily for five years with no sign of growth, at all!  Five years of waiting with no results, but then, in the fifth year, the plant sends up a shoot that will grow ninety feet tall in just five weeks! WOW!  

I think of this as I reflect on the Easter story.  Yesterday was the joyful celebration of Easter and Christ’s triumph over suffering and death and now, we begin the fifty days of the Easter Season, which concludes with Pentecost. During these days we remember the first disciples who experienced the resurrection, but who didn’t really understand what had happened and who, like the Chinese bamboo, were in a time of waiting for their own blossoming and the fulfillment of God’s plan in their lives at Pentecost.  That “awakening” is like the shoot of the bamboo which, after all the watering and tending, shoots and grows tall with astounding speed!   As you know, God repeats this same cycle in our lives again and again!  We, too, are in that time between Easter and Pentecost, a time of waiting and nurturing ourselves in preparation for the new growth that is in God’s plan for our lives.

In fact, there are a lot of new things coming to the United Ministry and this time gives us an opportunity to do many “new” things (and to return to some things that we once did in new ways).  I anticipate opening our church for worship services in the next few weeks (pray for warm weather!).  We will resume in person meetings, gatherings and small groups very soon.  AND we are preparing to receive a new pastor, effective July 1, 2021!  So, during these coming days, I invite you to join with the Church Council in setting aside time each day for prayer and devotions.  The Council is taking this journey to “water” their spirits and to get ready for the burst of new growth that is coming!  Won’t you join in this prayer journey with us as we strengthen ourselves, our relationship with God, and our connections with one another – so that when the big growth “push” arrives – we are strong, able and spiritually ready? Feel free to pray at any time during the day that fits your schedule – or at 8 am and/or 8 pm.  Remember to pray for the church, for new beginnings in ministry, for your new pastor and the churches she is leaving – and for your interim as I prepare to re-retire!

Behold!  God has done wonderful things for us – and new things are on the way!  Let’s be ready to grow!

May your Happy Easter blessings continue – each and every day!

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Betsy Ott

Monday, March 29, 2021

Dear Friends in Christ,  

I hope that you each well and safe as we come to the last few days of March and enter Holy Week. Before Easter.  March has had a few surprises for us but with April almost here, the grass is greening, trees are budding, birds sing in the morning and we can have a new outlook on life as more of us receive our Covid vaccinations!  Thanks be to God!

Recently, a friend asked me why Easter changes from month to month and is on a different day, depending on the year.  It gave me pause to think as I recalled that there is no set day for Easter as there is for Christmas because Easter is determined by the lunar calendar since it is linked directly with the Celebration of Passover.  The Passover date was set when the Hebrew people fled Egypt, on the date given to them by God to Moses (Exodus 12) as the 15th day of Nisan.  Nisan is the first month of the Jewish religious calendar and the 7th month of the Jewish civil year, which begins with Rosh Hashanah.  Since the Jewish calendar is lunar, Passover always falls at the time of the full moon and, as a result, Easter is always in the same week.  Jesus, we remember, was in Jerusalem for the Passover Celebration when he was arrested and crucified.  

Thinking about this has me reflecting on the old saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”  It has been nearly 2,000 years since Jesus met in the Upper Room with his disciples, shared a meal with them, washed their feet and fed them traditional bread and wine in a new way that expressed love and forgiveness.  It is hard to imagine the layers and layers of time and of Passovers and Easters celebrated across that span of time!  Things have changed.  Cultures and nations have risen…and fallen.  Fashion has come and gone like the flowers that blossoms and fade.  Winters and springs have become summers and falls – again and again and again.  Yet, in the constancy of God the world has been made new each day!  We humans generate 300 billion new cells, on average, each and every day!  What a fine way to recognize how God makes us and all creation new – over and over again.  Yet, with the constancy of God, the moon has shined full and bright on every Passover (and also during Easter week) since that first Passover in Egypt about 3,000 years ago.  

“For every time there is a season and a purpose to every matter under heaven.” Is the scripture that was on the Weekly Update as we began this Lenten Season.  Clearly, there is a weaving that God does between eternity and our human reality within the framework of time.  Some things we see and know and easily recognize.  Others things are known by God and revealed to us at the “appropriate time”.  I would say that hearing about the appointment of a new pastor, Rev. Cathy Schuyler, to the United Ministry of Delhi, effective July 1, 2021, fall into the category of being something God has known and we receive at the “perfect” time.  I want you to know that I am very excited about this pastoral appointment and have hope that it will bring new and opportunities to the congregation, the community – and to Rev. Schuyler.  To God be the glory!  As things move forward, we will all hear more about your new pastor and will begin planning ways to welcome and receive her.  However, the second passage at the start of this article gives us direction for what we are to do, right now:  “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”  I suggest that this is the time for each of us (all of us) to focus in on prayer.  When life got tough in Jesus’ ministry, we find that he retreated to pray and to reconnect with God.  This is so very important for us, always, but especially now, during this new transition time.  Please do pray for Pastor Cathy, for the churches she is leaving, and for your ministry together in the coming years.  And, please know that I also appreciate your prayers, as I “re-retire”.  

Remember, the more things change – the more they stay the same.  Yes, you will be adjusting to a new leader who brings new ideas and new, positive energy to the ministry she will do with you in Delhi.  There will be new things to learn and to experience.  But the God who set the timing for all things at the beginning and who keeps the seasons turning, places within us the ability to generate and re-generate new cells each and every day, and who placed Passover and Easter under the “full moon” – has got this!  There is the steadiness of God’s hand on life’s “steering wheel”,  and all will be well.  To God be the glory!  

In the meantime, stay safe!  You remain in my prayers….and remember, I love you and I need you to survive!

Peace,    

Pastor Betsy 

Monday, March 22, 2021

A WORD FROM THE PASTOR…..But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.  They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes, its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.   (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

Dear Friends in Christ,

Happy Spring!  As I write to you this week, the sun is shining, the cloudless sky is brilliant blue, the last patches of icy snow are melting and the stream near my house is noisily rushing along, its water topped with white caps, as it races over the larger rocks and stones.  This morning I looked out to see deer grazing on the fresh green patches in the yard and noticed that there are buds on the apple and cherry trees that were planted last fall.  The earth is warming and the water is flowing up from the frozen ground as new life emerges again. 

All this new energy around the changing season has me thinking about the possibility that there are new ways to look at the challenges of the pandemic.  We’ve been focused on how difficult the time is and how much we miss doing things the way we used to do them – but what if there are positive changes that came about through the pandemic?  What are the signs of new life, new beginning and new possibilities as we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel and look forward to a return to some of our longed-for pre-Covid pleasures?  

Well, it’s interesting because people who study these things can already see some positive changes and new opportunities that are the result of the pandemic.  Here are a few for our consideration:

  1. There is a new focus on genuine connections, relationships and family.  Focusing on only a few relationships has deepened their bonds.   Families are finding a new for more genuine connections. 
  2. Corporations are being challenged to demonstrate a commitment to excellence in how they care for customers, employees, communities, and the environment.    
  3. General hygiene has improved and people are more courteous (generally) about staying away from others when they are sick (not just with Covid).  
  4. There have been innovations in tools and software that will benefit businesses, schools and homes.  Remote work has become easier and mainstream (not just for the very wealthy anymore).
  5. Living peacefully together in a global network is a new priority for many, as we recognize how closely interconnected we are in a “smaller” global community.  
  6. Reimagined education, especially college and advanced programs, have become more readily accessible, more affordable and digitized. 
  7.  GRATITUDE!  There is a deepened awareness of how fragile life is and how important it is to be grateful for all of life’s blessings and joys – especially the “simple” things that are easy to take for granted.   

As I think of the tree planted by the water image from the Book of Jeremiah (see above) and how the water must bubble up out of the frozen ground to bring new life to the plants and trees in springtime, I find I’m thinking, too, about the frozen time of the pandemic and the “winter of challenge” it brought.  How wonderful to see how that time has been “watered” and “nurtured” by God so that out of that hard, cold ground, drought stricken lives are blooming with new life and new possibilities.  What a wonderful reminder to us that for those who are planted by the waters of God’s nurturing spirit, there is nothing to fear – not winters’ cold or summer’s drought.  We will survive and thrive because of God’s care! 

In the meantime, stay safe!  You remain in my prayers….and remember, I love you and I need you to survive!

Peace,

Pastor Betsy 

Monday, March 8, 2021

A WORD FROM THE PASTOR….. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  (Joshua 1:9)

Dear Friends in Christ,  

I pray that you are each well on this cold but beautiful March day.  The temperatures here on the hill are still below 20 degrees, but the sky is clear, cloudless blue.  The forecast is for temperatures near 60 degrees later this week!  Of course, that warm weather will introduce mud season and my dirt road will become a sticky, slippery mess, but it’s how the seasons shift and turn the earth over in springtime.  Best of all, even though we might have some more snowstorms, we know that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel!  

Speaking of “lights at the end of tunnels”, I’m wondering if most of us (in the designated groups, at least) have received our Covid-19 vaccination?  I’ve heard that some of us have completed the requirements, some are scheduled but waiting for their appointment, and others are still trying to get into the system.  I’m scheduled to go this week and am hoping for the one-shot option (though I’ll be fine with going back for the second shot if I don’t).  As I talk with friends, family members and with some of you, I sense a shift taking place as people begin to look forward to a release from the isolation and uncertainty we’ve all been experiencing through this long season of the pandemic.  I’m also hearing uncertainty and questions about what this will mean for us.  I know that we all hope to be able to see family and friends, to travel, to eat out and enjoy doing things we did “before”, but we are also hearing that we will need to continue to wear masks and remain socially distanced in public, while staying within small groups when unmasked.  It seems that the experts are concerned about the new strains of the virus that are vaccine resistant and spread easily.  And the fact is that after being so very careful of what we touch, where we go, who we see, and how we cover our faces to protect ourselves and others – it will be a big shift for all of us to return to “normal.”  In reality that “old normal” will probably never return – or will take longer to come back than we thought when we first heard about the vaccines.  We are still adjusting and readjusting to the new normal – as we try to figure out what new thing lies ahead.  There are reports out about new levels of anxiety about this reopening process.   I just read that some people are experiencing panic attacks and social anxiety – even as they can begin to resume some social engagement – because of fear of touching, contamination, new viruses, and other deep worries.  I wonder if we, too, will find that it isn’t as easy for us to relax our vigilance and enjoy some of the social freedoms we have longed for?    

The line of scripture from Joshua (see above) is very early in the biblical account of the entrance to the Promised Land.  After their generations of slavery and oppression in Egypt, and the forty-year sojourn through the desert, at last the people of Israel were in the land of milk and honey!  All that they had been promised and had hoped for was theirs!  Only, if you read this passage or go back to read this part of the Book of Joshua, you will find that things weren’t as easy as they thought they would be.  They had to fight with the people who had been living there as they “reclaimed” the lands that had belonged to their ancestors.  Then, they had to rebuild their lives, make new homes, establish communities, work out family problems, feed and clothe themselves, and on….and on….and on.  Isn’t that just like life?  To promise a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is yours – if you can get it!  And that’s how it was for the Children of Israel – here’s the Promised Land – it’s yours if you can face the challenges and do what it takes to adapt to your new reality.  I think this is how it will be for us as we face the new reality of a post-vaccine, Covid world.  We will still need to reclaim our abandoned activities – in new ways.  We will need to find ways to build community and reconnect with friends and family.  We will have to figure out how we will creatively feed our spirits and our needs for social connections, as we continue to accept the need to take necessary precautions.  

Still, the good news is right in this verse from the scriptures where it clearly says, we are not to be afraid or discouraged.  Why?  Well, aren’t we the people of the resurrection who live daily with the promise that God is always with us – no matter what we are facing? – This is why we have hope that whatever comes our way, we can face it and live through it to the dawn of the new day!  Good news!  Spring is coming.  The clocks are springing ahead (this week)!  Hope is in the air.  God is always with us – what do we have to fear?  

In the meantime, stay safe!  You remain in my prayers….and remember, I love you and I need you to survive!

Peace,

Pastor Betsy

Pastor’s Office hours this week:  Worship Planning at home.  See meeting and other scheduled events below.

Thursday (this week) recording session for Sunday worship.

WEEKLY CALENDAR OF EVENTS  

Monday 3/8 4:30 pm – Food Insecurity Ministry planning meeting (zoom)

Monday 3/8 7:00 pm – Financial forecast meeting (zoom)

Tuesday 3/9  6:00 pm – Trustees (at church/face masks and social distancing required)

Thursday 3/11 – Recording for weekly service/office hours

Lenten Devotions, March 3, 2021

Lenten Devotions
As you pray remember that God’s Spirit surrounds and supports you wherever you are.  Open your heart to God in worship, pray with an open heart to God, thank God for the help God gives, has given and will give you, and listen to hear God speak with you as you are “still” with God.MORNING PRAYERS:  Be still and know that I am God.  (Psalm 46:10)

Begin by sitting in a comfortable place as you enter into the presence of God.

Scripture:  

Music Link:  “As the Deer” (based on Psalm 42)

Please listen to the Song and repeat as many times as you want.  As you listen, close your eyes and give your attention to how the Psalmist expresses a longing (thirsting) for God.   Use your imagination to help you to see the images the Psalmist describes.  Allow yourself to “feel” that you are in a time of waiting for God as you long to reconnect with the presence of God’s Spirit.    As you listen again, put yourself into the pictures you have imagined and focus on how you experience God in your life – as Creator, as Jesus, and as Spirit.   Pause to reflect on the ways the Song and the words of the Psalm bring you closer to God’s presence.   
 
Now lift up any sense of being alone, any feelings of being distanced from God, any fears of abandonment you might have during this time in your life as you focus again on the words from the Psalm.  

Pray your prayers for God’s presence and healing in the life of your loved ones, friends, family and for yourself.  Offer thanks to God for God’s care for you and others…you may include any other personal prayers and prayers for others you want as you conclude with this prayer:

GOD
I am the wind that breathes upon the sea, 
I am the wave of the ocean,
I am the murmur of leaves rustling, 
I am the rays of the sun,
I am the beam of the moon and stars,
I am the power of trees growing, 
I am the bud breaking into blossom,
I am the movement of the salmon swimming, 
I am the courage of the wild boar fighting,
I am the speed of the stag running,
I am the strength of the ox pulling the plow,
I am the size of the mighty oak tree,
And I am the thoughts of all people who 
Praise my beauty and grace.  Amen.  
(Celtic Prayers: A Book of Celtic Devotion/Daily Prayers and Blessings, Robert Van De Weyer, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1997, pg.17)

EVENING PRAYERS:  Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

Music Link:   “As the Deer” (based on Psalm 42) 

Reflect on the words to the Psalm from the morning and focus the day as you ask yourself these questions:
How did my day demonstrate worship of God?  Did I pray (talk with God) during the day?  In what ways did God care for me (and those I love) today?  When did I “long” for God?  At what moments did I feel the presence of God?  Offer thanks to God for God’s grace and mercy to you and to others.  Sit in quiet gratitude to God.

Offer your personal prayers for the day and for God to be with you during the night…..
Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer.  

Psalm 42 (NIV version)
As the deer pants for streams of 
     water,
     so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
     When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food
     day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
     “Where is your God?”
These things I remember
     as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
     under the protection of the Mighty One
     with shouts of joy and praise 
among the festive throng.
Why my soul are you downcast?
     Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
     For I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.  
My soul is downcast within me;
     therefore I will remember you
     from the land of the Jordan,
     the heights of Hermon – from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
     all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
By day the Lord directs his love,
     at night his song is with me – 
     a prayer to the God of my life.
I say to God my Rock,
     “Why have you forgotten me? 
     Why must I go about mourning,
     oppressed by the enemy?”
My bones suffer mortal agony 
As my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long,
     “Where is your God?”
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
     Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, 
     for I will yet praise him,
My Savior and my God.  

REFRAIN TO THE SONG: “As the Deer”
As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you.
You alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship you.
You alone are my strength, my shield; to you alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship you.  

(Words and Music: Martin j. Nystrom, 1984 Maranatha Praise Inc., admin by The Copyright Co.) Copyright © 2021 United Ministry, All rights reserved.

Monday, March 1, 2021

A WORD FROM THE PASTOR…..As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:1)


Dear Friends in Christ,  

I was pumping gas on Saturday morning and I felt like I might get blown to the next county if I didn’t hold on tight to my car!  Even though it was still February, the March winds were blowing and as I felt them swirling around me, I smiled.  Why?  Well I have to admit, March is one of my favorite months, partly because the windy days are a sure sign that things are “stirring and changing”.   Soon “freshets” will appear in the fields’ a clear sign that the earth beneath is thawing!  Oh, I know it will snow again.  We may have another blizzard – or two – or more, but I know they won’t last long, warmer days are on the way, and those first glimpses of new life will expand even further as the fields and hillsides spring to life, once more.  

It is, however, very difficult to wait.   Especially this year when it seems like we’ve been doing a lot of “waiting” lately as this Covid time of uncertainty and isolation continue.  Many of us are still waiting to see family who live too far away for even a quick “drive by” visit.  We are waiting to see friends and visit neighbors.  Waiting to go to the movies again, or a concert, or out for lunch at a restaurant.  We are waiting for a return to more normal work scheduling and an end to the non-stop zoom meetings that keep us tied to the computer at home.  We wait for postponed weddings to attend, baby showers, birthday and anniversary celebrations, and family reunions that have been put off while we wait for the “all clear”.  We wait to return to church and to attend meetings and fellowship times, face to face.  Many of us are waiting and longing for the warm hugs of friends, especially if there has been no physical contact for us during this long time of Covid “waiting”.  Most of us are still waiting for our vaccinations and all of us are waiting to find out “what’s next?” as we resign ourselves to adapting and adapting, and adapting yet again…..while we are still waiting to find out what the new normal will be.

This week, with the first signs of spring and the continued demand to wait for the change of the long Covid season, I find myself repeating the words of Psalm 42:1.  As the deer pant for water, so my soul (or in some translations, heart) pants for God.  Here on the hill in Franklin, I see the deer making their daily journeys to the Ouleout Creek, which runs on the other side of my road.  They make the trip twice a day, morning and evening, good weather and bad, warm days and cold, easy walking or carefully picking through snow drifts and across icy patches.  They long for water and they need that water to survive.  They need it so badly that they can’t “not” go to the stream, they simply must do it.  I think the Psalmist must have watched deer search for water in the drier regions of Israel or, perhaps, during a dry season and noticed that they “pant for” and “long for” their water.  Without it, they cannot survive.  And then the writer relates that longing of the deer for water to his/her own longing for the spiritual water of God, which nurtures and restores new life to the spirit.  That shepherd (perhaps David) on the hillside – longs for God while waiting through a “dry spell” for renewal and new life.  And so, I am reminded how I, too, long for renewal and the watering of God’s abundant and gracious spirit to restore me during this long Covid “waiting time”.  Perhaps we are all feeling that sense of longing for the renewal we know that God will bring to our lives when things “reopen” and “blossom” again.  For me, there is comfort in remembering that others have felt the way we feel now during this time of waiting and wondering “what’s next?”  From the Psalmist on the hillside and throughout the ages, whenever life was “frozen” before the arrival of “new life at spring”, others have waited and thirsted for God – and God has delivered. So as we wait, we can wait with patience and with the optimism that comes from knowing and believing that God will bring us new life – as the season changes and things are transformed, once again.  We don’t know for sure when it will be or how it will “look” but we can believe that as our hearts/souls pant for a new beginning, God hears and answers – at the perfect time!
In the meantime, Happy March!   On March 14th, the clocks will “spring forward” bringing brighter longer days.  March 20th we mark the first day of Spring and wait and watch as the earth wakes up from its slumber!  Our spirits are waking up, too – thirsty after our long time of “waiting”.  Remember – God is good and new beginnings are on the way!

In the meantime, stay safe!  You remain in my prayers….I love you and I need you to survive!

Peace,

Pastor Betsy

Lenten Devotions

March 24, 2021

MORNING PRAYERS:  Be still and know that I am God.  (Psalm 46:10)

Begin by sitting in a comfortable place as you enter into the presence of God.

Scripture: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.  They will be like a tree planted by the water that send out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV)

Music Link: O Lord, Your Tenderness

Please listen to the Song and repeat as many times as you want.  As you listen, close your eyes and give your attention to the images the scripture uses to tell of God’s nature and presence.  Use your imagination to create “mind pictures” of where you are like a tree with roots fed by God’s Spirit (water).  Focus on how you feel when you feel spiritually thirsty or unproductive.  As you listen again, sense/feel God with you, especially in those places.  Pause to reflect on the ways the Song and the words of the passage speak of how God nurtures you. 

 Now lift up any places in your life that you need strength and courage to address.  You may listen to “O Lord, Your Tenderness” as you focus on the ways God protects, comforts and guides you wherever you go.   

Pray your prayers of thanks to God for God’s care for you and others…you may include your personal prayers and prayers for others as you conclude with this prayer:

MORNING PRAYER – A Million Miracles
O Son of God, perform a miracle for me:
Change my heart. 
You whose crimson blood redeems 
Mankind (humankind), whiten my heart.
It is you who makes the sun bright and
The ice sparkle; you who makes the 
Rivers flow and the salmon leap.
Your skilled hand makes the nut tree
Blossom, and the wheat grain turn golden;
Your spirit composes the songs of the
Birds and the buzz of the bees.
Your creation is a million wondrous
Miracles, beautiful to behold.  
I ask of you just one more miracle: 
Beautify my soul.  Amen  
(Celtic Prayers: A Book of Celtic Devotion/Daily Prayers and Blessings, Robert Van De Weyer, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1997, pg.14)

EVENING PRAYERS:  Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

Music Link:   O Lord, Your Tenderness

Reflect on the words to the scripture from the morning and focus on the day as you ask yourself these questions:  How did my day demonstrate worship of God?  Did I pray (talk with God) during the day?  In what ways did God care for me (and those I love) today?  Offer thanks to God for God’s grace and mercy to you and to others.  Sit in quiet gratitude to God.

Offer your personal prayers for the day and for God to be with you during the night…..
Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer.  

REFRAIN TO THE SONG: 
O Lord, your tenderness, melting all my bitterness; O Lord, I receive your love.
O Lord, your loveliness, changing my unworthiness; O Lord, I receive your love.
O Lord, I receive your love.  O Lord, I receive your love.  
(Words and Music: Graham Kendrick (Isa. 61:3) 1986 Kingsway’s Thank You Music, admin. EMI Christian Music Group

March 17, 2021

MORNING PRAYERS:  Be still and know that I am God.  (Psalm 46:10)

Begin by sitting in a comfortable place as you enter into the presence of God.

Scripture:  The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone, the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.    (Isaiah 9:10 New International Version)

Music Link:  “Bless the Lord”
Please listen to the Song and repeat as many times as you want.  As you listen, close your eyes and give your attention to the images the scripture uses to tell of God with you in times of loss and times of healing.  Use your imagination to create “mind pictures” of where you might need to be supported by God’s blessings as you seek to remain strong and hope-filled.  Focus on how you feel when you feel spiritually weak and discouraged.  As you listen again, sense/feel God with you, especially in those places.  Pause to reflect on the ways the song and the words of the passage speak of God’s care for you now and always. 

Now lift up any places in your life that you need strength and courage to address.  You may listen to “Bless the Lord” as you focus on the ways God protects, comforts and guides you wherever you go.   

Pray your prayers of thanks to God for God’s care for you and others…you may include your personal prayers and prayers for others as you conclude with this prayer:

MORNING PRAYER: ST. PATRICK’S BREASTPLATE

I gird myself with the might of heaven:
The rays of the sun,
The beams of the moon,
The glory of fire,
The speed of the wind,
The depth of the sea, 
The stability of the earth,
The hardness of rock,
I gird myself with the power of God:
God’s strength to comfort me,
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to lead me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s angel to save me 
From the snares of the Devil,
From temptations to sin, 
From all who wish me ill, 
Both far and near, 
Alone and with others.  
May Christ guard me today 
From poison and fire,
From drowning and wounding,
So my mission may bear fruit in abundance.  Amen.  
(Celtic Prayers: A Book of Celtic Devotion/Daily Prayers and Blessings, Robert Van De Weyer, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1997, pgs 46-47)

EVENING PRAYERS:  Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

EVENING PRAYER: ST PATRICK’S BREASTPLATE (continued from Morning Prayer)
Christ behind and before me,
Christ beneath and above me,
Christ with me and in me,
Christ around and about me,
Christ on my left and my right, 
Christ when I rise in the morning,
Christ when I lie down at night,
Christ in each heart that thinks of me,
Christ in each mouth that speaks of me,
Christ in each eye that sees me,
Christ in each ear that hears me.
I arise today (I rest this night)
Through the power of the Trinity,
Through faith in the Threeness, 
Through trust in the oneness,
Of the Maker of earth,
And the Maker of heaven.  Amen.
(See Morning Prayer notation for copyright information)    

Music Link:   “Bless the Lord”

Reflect on the words to the scripture from the morning and focus on the day as you ask yourself these questions:  How did my day demonstrate worship of God?  Did I pray (talk with God) during the day?  In what ways did God care for me (and those I love) today?  Offer thanks to God for God’s grace and mercy to you and to others.  Sit in quiet gratitude to God.

Offer your personal prayers for the day and for God to be with you during the night…..
Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer.  

REFRAIN TO THE SONG: “Bless the Lord”
Bless the Lord my soul and bless God’s holy name.  
Bless the Lord my soul who leads me into life.  
(Words and Music: Jacques Berthier and the Taize Community (Ps 103:1). 1984 Les Presses de Taize, France admin. By GIA Publications, Inc.)

March 3, 2021

MORNING PRAYERS:  Be still and know that I am God.  (Psalm 46:10)

Begin by sitting in a comfortable place as you enter into the presence of God.

Scripture:  

Music Link:  “As the Deer” (based on Psalm 42)

Please listen to the Song and repeat as many times as you want.  As you listen, close your eyes and give your attention to how the Psalmist expresses a longing (thirsting) for God.   Use your imagination to help you to see the images the Psalmist describes.  Allow yourself to “feel” that you are in a time of waiting for God as you long to reconnect with the presence of God’s Spirit.    As you listen again, put yourself into the pictures you have imagined and focus on how you experience God in your life – as Creator, as Jesus, and as Spirit.   Pause to reflect on the ways the Song and the words of the Psalm bring you closer to God’s presence.   

Now lift up any sense of being alone, any feelings of being distanced from God, any fears of abandonment you might have during this time in your life as you focus again on the words from the Psalm.  

Pray your prayers for God’s presence and healing in the life of your loved ones, friends, family and for yourself.  Offer thanks to God for God’s care for you and others…you may include any other personal prayers and prayers for others you want as you conclude with this prayer:

GOD
I am the wind that breathes upon the sea, 
I am the wave of the ocean,
I am the murmur of leaves rustling, 
I am the rays of the sun,
I am the beam of the moon and stars,
I am the power of trees growing, 
I am the bud breaking into blossom,
I am the movement of the salmon swimming, 
I am the courage of the wild boar fighting,
I am the speed of the stag running,
I am the strength of the ox pulling the plow,
I am the size of the mighty oak tree,
And I am the thoughts of all people who 
Praise my beauty and grace.  Amen.  
(Celtic Prayers: A Book of Celtic Devotion/Daily Prayers and Blessings, Robert Van De Weyer, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1997, pg.17)

EVENING PRAYERS:  Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

Music Link:   “As the Deer” (based on Psalm 42) 

Reflect on the words to the Psalm from the morning and focus the day as you ask yourself these questions:
How did my day demonstrate worship of God?  Did I pray (talk with God) during the day?  In what ways did God care for me (and those I love) today?  When did I “long” for God?  At what moments did I feel the presence of God?  Offer thanks to God for God’s grace and mercy to you and to others.  Sit in quiet gratitude to God.

Offer your personal prayers for the day and for God to be with you during the night…..
Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer.  

Psalm 42 (NIV version)
As the deer pants for streams of 
     water,
     so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
     When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food
     day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
     “Where is your God?”
These things I remember
     as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
     under the protection of the Mighty One
     with shouts of joy and praise 
among the festive throng.
Why my soul are you downcast?
     Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
     For I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.  
My soul is downcast within me;
     therefore I will remember you
     from the land of the Jordan,
     the heights of Hermon – from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
     all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
By day the Lord directs his love,
     at night his song is with me – 
     a prayer to the God of my life.
I say to God my Rock,
     “Why have you forgotten me? 
     Why must I go about mourning,
     oppressed by the enemy?”
My bones suffer mortal agony 
As my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long,
     “Where is your God?”
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
     Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, 
     for I will yet praise him,
My Savior and my God.  

REFRAIN TO THE SONG: “As the Deer”
As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you.
You alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship you.
You alone are my strength, my shield; to you alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship you.  

(Words and Music: Martin j. Nystrom, 1984 Maranatha Praise Inc., admin by The Copyright Co.)

 “Be still and Know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10)

As you pray remember that God’s Spirit surrounds and supports you wherever you are.  Open your heart to God in worship, pray with an open heart to God, thank God for the help God gives, has given and will give you, and listen to hear God speak with you as you are “still” with God.

Morning Prayer…  

Silence – Be still in God’s presence.

Prayer – Glory be to you, O God, for the rising of the sun, for colour filling the skies and for the whiteness of daylight.  Glory be to you for creatures stirring forth from the night, for plant forms stretching and unfolding, for the stable earth and its solid rocks.  Glory be to you for the beauty of your image, waking in opening eyes, lighting the human countenance.  Glory be to you.  Glory be to you.  But where the glistening is lost sight of, where life’s colours are dulled and the human soul grows hard, I pray for grace this day, I pray for your softening grace.  

Pray for the coming day and the life of the world. 
Offer thanks to God for the goodness and grace you have received in your life, the goodness and grace you hope to receive this day, and the goodness and grace that you long for in the days to come. 

Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer.  

Evening Prayer….

Silence – Be Still in God’s presence

Prayer – Glory be to you, O God, at the conclusion of this day.  Glory to you for the ways you have revealed yourself to me this day in the beauty of nature and of those around me.  Give me your beauty at this time of rest and help me to dream as I remember, even while I sleep, your goodness to me at every time in my life.  I pray for your grace this night, for me and for others wherever they are.  Keep all in your care and give us your gentle peace.  

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

A WORD FROM THE PASTOR…..“For every time there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) & “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”  (Luke 5:16)

Dear Companions in Christ, 

Greetings to each of you as begin our Lenten Journey.  May God’s grace support and strengthen you!

This year, as we deepen our faith and strengthen our connections with one another, we are developing our new UM Delhi Care Groups.  Care Groups are designed for intentional nurture and support among members/supporters of the congregation.  We are asking each group to connect by phone or electronic means (zoom, etc.) for about half an hour, weekly.  The group(s) are formed to:

  1. Develop new connections and strengthen existing connections within the congregation.  You may find that you already know some people in your group or you may not.  Even if your close friends are not in your group, please make a commitment to try to build a connection with your group members while also maintaining the friendships you already have in place!  In this way, we come to know one another better in the larger congregation.  
  2. These groups are forming now to build bonds while we are still socially distanced and as a spiritual focus during Lent – but we hope they remain in place once we can be together again and may meet face to face, remotely or a combination of both.   
  3. The point of the groups is for fellowship, building relationships, and spiritual support. During Lent, the pastor will provide a brief weekly devotion for your personal use.  You may discuss the devotion during your Care Group time, or not.  The Care Group can also discuss these questions:  how is your worship life, how is your prayer life, what has God done or what is God doing in your life?, and how are you “listening” for God to speak with you during this time?  The discussions are completely confidential within the group.  
  4. Any member of a group may directly contact the pastor at any time with a spiritual need or for any other pastoral reason.  The groups are not expected to take the place of a member’s individual relationship with the pastor. 
  5. The pastor may join with a group from time to time – and welcomes invitations to participate with your group, occasionally!
  6. Eventually, we hope to have one or two large, congregational and group events during the year.  These might include potluck dinners, fellowship events, hymn sings, etc.  We welcome your ideas and suggestions as your group gets off the ground.

It is my hope that you will commit to participating with your Care Group during Lent.  If, for any reason, you prefer not to participate, please let the pastor know, directly.  If you have concerns about technology or how to connect by conference call, please contact the church office for assistance.   I hope that through the Care Groups we will be stronger and more able to do our work of ministry together once things reopen.  I especially ask for your prayers for this ministry!

May your Lenten Journey bring you closer to the God we love and who we serve.   You remain in my prayers.

Remember I love you and need you to survive!  

Pastor Betsy

Cathy Johnson (Nurture Coordinator) and Chelsea Frisbee (Witness Coordinator)   

  Pastor Ott is presently at half-time hours which means  in the office on average two times a week, usually on days when there are meetings.  Friday is the regular day for recording the Sunday worship service.

Pastor’s Office hours this week: Pastor’s Office hours this week will depend on the winter weather.  (see below)
Friday (recording session for Sunday worship)

WEEKLY CALENDAR OF EVENTS  
Tuesday 2/16 and/or Wednesday 2/17  Office and distribution of ashes for Ash Wednesday

Thursday 2/18 6:30 pm – SPR meeting (zoom)

Friday 2/19 – Worship Service Recording (unless the weather requires a change in the usual schedule)

The Ash Wednesday Service will be available for remote viewing on Ash Wednesday, 2/17. The office is open 9am to 3 pm Monday through Friday, weather permitting.  Please call ahead if you have questions or need assistance. 


We welcome updates on church ministries and timely reports for our weekly update.  This information must be in not later than Friday afternoon or at the start of office hours on Monday to be included on that day. 

Monday, February 8, 2021

A WORD FROM THE PASTOR….. “For every time there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) & “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”  (Luke 5:16)

Dear Friends in Christ,  

I hope that you are staying safe and well these days.  February has arrived and brought more snow and cold weather, but in a few days we’ll be half-way through the month!  Then March is around the corner bringing with it more daylight as the time changes, the start of spring, and the promise of better days to come.   

Recently, I found myself thinking about a book I read years ago, Walden: Life in the Woods, by Henry David Thoreau.  I was actually wondering if now would be a good time to reread the narrative of Thoreau’s time on the Walden Pond, near Concord, Massachusetts.  You may remember that Thoreau, finding the advancing civilization of the 1840’s too restrictive, longs for a simpler and quieter life.  So, he heads off to the woods of “wilderness” New England, where he lives alone for two years, recording his experiences and, later, condensing the two years into one and publishing his book.  Thoreau talks about his day to day challenges and how he experiences the natural world around him, but he also talks of his deeper, more personal experiences.  In one section he tells about the long winter and how his isolation begins to wear on him.  I really can’t imagine the challenges of living in a cabin and taking care of the heating and cooking and other daily activities alone.  How difficult it must have been at times as the wind howled outside and snow piled up against the walls of his shelter!  How could he manage being so isolated…with no companion and no support and no help?  Yet, Thoreau writes that when spring arrives, he celebrates the transforming power of the season and finds a deeper appreciation for the cycles and seasons of the earth – and of his own cycles and seasons, as well.  

Some years ago, I learned that without strong gales of wind and storms – the trees would not grow and would die after only a few years.  Why?  Because without the pushing and movement the wind causes as the tree sways in the wind (branches and sometimes the trunk, as well), the bark would remain weak and the tree would not be able to survive or have the strength to grow tall. The wind forces the tree to produce layers of bark that build a “wall of strength” which holds the tree up as it grows!  Though I’m not certain how a tree “feels” about being pushed around by the wind, it’s interesting to know that the wind helps the tree become stronger and to thrive.  

I think Thoreau’s time in the woods probably made him a much stronger “tree” when he returned to civilization.  Perhaps he appreciated things that he once took for granted and had more tolerance for those things that challenged him.  I think Jesus went away from the crowds and his day to day challenges of ministry, to strengthen himself and return ready to begin again with a restored spirit of peace and joy.  I also think that though we don’t like the strong “wind” of COVID and, unlike Thoreau, we didn’t choose to isolate ourselves to get away from civilization, we are being strengthened during this time and will be more appreciative of life, of our freedom to move about safely, and to be with others than we might have been without this time apart.  

In the meantime, unlike Thoreau, we have ways to connect with people  and, even though we may grow weary of phone calls and zooming, these are our best way to keep in touch with friends and loved ones until we can be together face to face.  I hope that will happen soon!  For now, I ask you to support the small group ministry we’re starting during Lent.  I’m asking each group to connect by phone or zoom at least once a week for about half an hour for support and brief devotions, which I will provide.  This isn’t a perfect way for us to stay together, but it is the best way I know for us to stay strong as the winds continue to blow during this long winter of COVID.  Imagine what the spring will be like when this time ends!  

In the meantime, stay safe!  You remain in my prayers….and remember, I love you and I need you to survive!

Peace, Pastor Betsy 

  Pastor Ott is presently at half-time hours which means  in the office on average two times a week, usually on days when there are meetings.  Friday is the regular day for recording the Sunday worship service.

Pastor’s Office hours this week:  Worship Planning at home.  See meeting and other scheduled events below.
Friday (recording session for Sunday worship)