Pastoral Letter 13

Dear Members and Friends,

If you read These Days, the devotional booklet, you can pick one up tomorrow (Monday) morning from 9 to 9:55 at the parking lot door. Just drive up and take one. They will be on a chair outside the door – a keep-six-feet practice.

We meet for Bible study again Thursday at 10 a.m. We’re studying the Song of Songs, a book of poetry that on its surface seems only to teach about the joy of flirtation, love, and sex. And, even though the word “God” does not appear in the text, this poetry is also about God. Do you know the other book in the Bible that does not use the word God. If you would like information to connect to this study via Zoom, just let me know.

I am eager to receive help with livestreaming worship. We will have a video recording we’d like to include in worship each Sunday. You saw Shirley Pantini’s introduction to this series this morning. Is there a way to embed these videos while we’re using Facebook Live? I’m still learning how to facilitate worship. I’m not looking at the camera when I preach. That will probably take practice. The liturgy needs to be read, but reading it means looking away from the camera. Help me learn how to do this better, please?

The annual meeting of the congregation will be held (date not yet set) while we are away from the church. It can be done via Zoom. If you need a lesson in how to connect to Zoom on your computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone, or landline, send me a note and someone will reach out to you for the brief lesson.

The Green Team meets Thursday at 7. Send a note if you’d like link information.

Don’t forget worship next Sunday, which has two designations: Palm and Passion. One focuses on Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem, the other on his suffering. Both point to the events of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. You will receive specific worship information later this week about worship on each of these three days of Holy Week. We may not be able to be in close physical proximity, but we can still worship together.

Abbie continues her ministry with the Mid-Hi and Senior-Hi groups meeting with each group this evening and again Wednesday via Zoom.

With gratitude,

Terry