Lament Gives Way to Hope!

Ugh, we have reached a year of pandemic!  I hear lament around me.

• How long will this go on?
• When will be back to in person worship?
• What are the plans? (keep reading)

A few lines of lament from the Psalms that sound similar:

• God, why do you cast us off forever?

• Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
• How long, O God, is the foe to scoff?

I don’t believe God is angry with us, but you get the gist of being tired and wondering how long can this situation go on?
 
Lament Psalms are the expression of pain, distress, and suffering.  None of us is immune from encountering such experiences.  We all can relate and lament of the tiresome, dragging on of the pandemic.  Glimmers of hope seem illusive.

• When will we ever be able to share handshakes or hugs again?
• When will the sharing of touch for the peace and the benediction return?
• How l  o  n  g will this go on?

 
I don’t have the answers, at least, not with an exact date or time.  However, I am hopeful!  Because I see the numbers headed in the right direction. Vaccinations are becoming more available.  There are better days ahead!  Continue to let your resilience, patience and adaptability abound.  The day is coming.  Let us be ready.
 
My dear friends in Christ, there is Good News!  As we see declining numbers of new cases for COVID.  Vaccinations are on the rise.  A team of CtK lay people are making plans for in person gathering and for in person worship.  That, of course, assumes the trend we are on continues to move in a positive direction.
 
With prayer and planning, this team considers the path forward with everyone’s interest and safety at hand.  A phased approach will be necessary to ease into worship life and communal living.  We cannot expect to flip a switch, however we will slowly return.  Remain faithful.  Remain positive.  Remain hopeful and remain accepting of the possibilities for what newness comes out of our experienced pandemic to face each day that is provided by God.  Very soon the plan to return to in person worship and gathering with bee shared in our weekly Constant Contact e-newsletter and on our website.  God’s love is coming to life!  You can do this.  We can do this together 😊
 
Christ’s Lenten Blessings & Peace,
Pastor Nate