For many of us, we have relied on
being present at church to receive spiritual nourishment. For Catholics, receiving the Eucharist is the
most important way to do that. For Protestants, although we don’t talk much
about it as nourishment, we receive nourishment from hearing scripture and the
proclamation of the Good News in sermons.
I know that many of you also receive spiritual nourishment in your
personal devotionals of prayer and scripture reading.
In
these times when we are unable to gather, staying connected to God and to each
other through prayer is the best way for us to remain nourished and growing in
our relationship. We do not want to let
this difficult time starve our faith!
Faith
leaders around the world are calling us into a time of fervent prayer for God
to help us and to show us how to overcome the coronavirus. We can join in and know that we are part of
the worldwide Body of Christ at prayer.
As our faith is
strengthened by prayer and leaning in to the strength of the whole faith
community, a poet in San Francisco wrote the poem I have put after the Prayer Suggestion. God can use this time in many ways, if we let Him!
Nancy
Waldo, St. Mary’s Woods
Matthew 4:4
…Jesus answered,
‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes
from the mouth of God.” ’
John 6:35
Jesus said to them, ‘I am the
bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes
in me will never be thirsty.
Prayer Suggestion: When you go to
the Lord in prayer today, in addition to praying for protection for your health
and that of your loved ones, add a prayer for patience and understanding as we
all learn about how to love one another at a distance.
Pandemic By
Rev. Lynn Ungar
What
if you thought of it
as
the Jews consider the Sabbath—
the
most sacred of times?
Cease
from travel.
Cease
from buying and selling.
Give
up, just for now,
on
trying to make the world
different
than it is.
Sing.
Pray. Touch only those
to
whom you commit your life.
Center
down.
And
when your body has become still,
reach
out with your heart.
Know
that we are connected
in
ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You
could hardly deny it now.)
Know
that our lives
are
in one another’s hands.
(Surely,
that has come clear.)
Do
not reach out your hands.
Reach
out your heart.
Reach
out your words.
Reach
out all the tendrils
of
compassion that move, invisibly,
where
we cannot touch.
Promise
this world your love–
for
better or for worse,
in
sickness and in health,
so
long as we all shall live.
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