Dear St. Timothy Family,
Have things changed in the last month or what—even in the last week? As I
write this, a little over a week ago I was going to have back surgery. We
were all set and it was a go until the day before it was scheduled to take
place. It was like our world had shifted and the surgery was postponed. So,
I’m still here.
I have to admit that I was very depressed for several days after the surgery
was postponed—most of all because I knew it would be that much longer
until I would have relief from the pain. It took time and prayer for me to work
through this. There is a song by Casting Crowns that was helpful, “I’ll Praise
You in this Storm.” Here is the link: https://youtu.be/vCpP0mFD9F0. My
daughter, Sarah, reminded me of this song and I re-listened to it very
carefully. It helped me to refocus.
Our “new normal” is worship at home, working from home or not at all,
learning from home. “Social distancing” is now a part of our lexicon.
However, I don’t like that expression. We need each other and it isn’t
healthy to stay distant from one another socially or emotionally. I prefer the
expression “physical distancing” because that’s what it really is.
We are all doing things differently. Churches are worshipping online, by
having a pre-recorded service or by using platforms such as Zoom, which is
similar to Skype, except everyone participating can see and hear each
other. It’s like Skype on steroids. I have ventured for the first time into the
world of Facebook Live. It took me three tries until I had a decent video.
We are all learning and hopefully adjusting. Recently, we heard from the
bishop that church buildings should remain closed throughout the month of
April, maybe as late as May 15. We may not be able to physically worship
together, but we are the church and cannot be prevented from praising God
and working as the body of Christ.
Like I said, we will not be worshipping physically together in April, including
Easter Sunday. Easter is seven weeks long, not just one Sunday. God
willing, we will be back together in our building sometime in the Easter
season and we’ll be able to celebrate and blow the roof off with joy and the
praises of God!
Pastor's Message
April 2020
