"We are fools for Christ . . ." - 1 Corinthians 4:10a, NIV

Today is April Fool's Day. I have heard that some have chosen to cancel whatever April Fool's Day celebrations were planned because of the pandemic. I can understand that. With the seriousness of all that's going on, it just doesn't seem appropriate for now. Last week a friend of mine emailed that he had watched our first online worship service. Because he doesn't go to our church, it gave him the opportunity to experience our worship service. He talked about how he liked the service. But then he added one suggestion, that perhaps the service needed some humor. I must admit his comment caught me a little off guard. Because of the seriousness of the pandemic -- the loss of life, the spreading sickness, and the loss of jobs -- humor just didn't feel right to me.

Now I certainly believe humor has its place, and sometimes it helps us get through difficult times. On the other hand, I can remember wanting to make a joke when things were very serious, probably because I was uncomfortable with what was going on. Also, I am not sure if humor is really my forte. I've always admired preachers who seemed to have the ability to entertain with the timing of a comedian. Humor can also open us up and laughter can break down barriers. I guess I will just leave that kind of humor to those who do it well.

When Paul says in his letter to the church at Corinth that "we are fools for Christ" -- he is not saying that we are court jesters or clowns. In Paul's day the dominant worldviews were Greek, Roman, and Jewish. Paul was fluent in all three. But from a Greek perspective, the idea of Jesus as the Son of God who comes in the flesh and dies on a cross seemed foolish. But for those of us who are "fools for Christ" -- it is God's true wisdom and the way of life!

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, help us to risk being "fools for Christ" -- even in the face of the world's laughter. And may the love and grace of Jesus the Christ shine through our "foolish" lives. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Yesterday I facilitated Solace, a new type of on-line support we are offering to you so that we can stay connected during this time of social distancing. Each week, I will be leading our on-line support meeting on Wednesdays at noon and Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. Please join us!

We talked about what it means to shelter in place and how our lives have been affected. One phenomenon that I found most interesting is how time disoriented many of us have become because we are out of our routines. A television station in Indianapolis posted this picture to help their viewers with their confusion.

Relax! Today is Monday and not Thursday. Has time confusion happened to you?

Amidst the chaos and confusion there is a clarity that our faith can provide. Psalm 46 brings the clarity of God being in our midst during times such as these.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble...Psalm 46:1 A Bible scholar I read says that the root word for refuge here comes from the verb to flee or to take shelter. I can't think of a more appropriate verse for our call to shelter in place. The call with which the Psalmist beckons us in faith is to lessen our fear because we have been called to shelter in place with our God. As Psalm 46 proceeds there are scary moments; the earth gives way, the mountains fall into the heart of the sea with the waters roaring and foaming. How can you not experience fear? In this fear the psalmist offers comfort.

There is a river running through the city; a city where God has taken up residency! The psalmist states: "God is with her, she shall not fall; God will help her at break of day." The Bible scholar notes that the break of day literally means the turning of the face of morning to us; God's face turned to us in our struggles.

Have you noticed how much more you enjoy looking at faces in these days of sheltering in place? Perhaps in them you see the face of God reflected through the ones in who were made in his image.

Our next Solace is Wednesday at noon. Login information is posted on the JCPC Facebook page.

Prayer for Today

As we shelter in place, Most High, help us see you reflected in the faces of others. May our acts of loving kindness bring light into our world's darkness and may the fellowship of the Holy Spirit hold us close; one to another. Amen.

Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice.

-Psalm 130: 1-2, NIV

Recently, Jeff Arnold, one of our members, shared this quote with me from Richard Rohr:

Intelligently responding to the Coronavirus demands that we access resources of physical, emotional and spiritual resilience. One practice Christianity has developed to nurture resilience is lamentation. Prayers of lamentation arise in us when we sit and speak out to God and one another-stunned, sad, and silenced by the tragedy and absurdity of human events. . . Without this we do not suffer the necessary pain of this world, the necessary sadness of being human.

Walter Brueggemann, my favorite Scripture teacher, points out that even though about one third of the Psalms are psalms of "lament," these have been the least used by Catholic and Protestant liturgies. We think they make us appear weak, helpless, and vulnerable, or show a lack of faith. So we quickly resort to praise and thanksgiving. We forget that Jesus called weeping a "blessed" state (Matthew 5:5) and that only one book of the Bible is named after an emotion: Jeremiah's book of "Lamentation."

I quoted from Psalm 130 above because it is considered a "lament Psalm." Simply praying the words of a Psalm like this one gives voice to what we may be feeling at times like these. Crying out to God for help is a type of worship, not weakness. I want to encourage you to use this time to pray for those who are hurting - to cry out for God to help us all. And while we as Christians believe the last words are hope and resurrection, our first words may need to be lament - that things are not yet the way they are supposed to be.

Prayer for Today

Out of the depth, Lord, we cry to you. There is too much sickness and death in our world, and it is only increasing. Bring healing. Comfort those who mourn -- and do it soon! We pray this in the strong name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Also, join us for online worship this Sunday when we look at Psalm 34:1-18. The sermon is about fear and whether God is far away or near.

Also, we plan to celebrate communion together online on Easter Sunday, so remember to buy some bread and grape juice or wine for the celebration!

Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.

-Philippians 4:5

My morning routine on quarantine is a little bit of a juggling act. Jessica spends much of her night up and down caring for our new baby, Marshall. So I typically have the morning shift of baby holding and making breakfast for the teenager and getting him started on his online schoolwork. Sometimes, I'm holding Marshall, sometimes he's in a carrier, and now and then he will let me set him down in the mechanical swing. Mostly, he just doesn't want to be on his back. It upsets his tummy. But we think also that after nearly a week in the NICU and almost never being held, he never wants us to put him down. And we don't want to.

This morning was one such morning. I needed to get a breakfast made, so I set him down in the swing. He'd been cuddled against me for an hour already and my shirt was warm. As I laid him in the cold swing, it occurred to me that he would wake soon at the discomfort. So I slipped off my t-shirt and tucked him in with it as a blanket. I've read that both infants and pets do better with separation when they have an article of your clothing that smells like you. I hoped the warmth and smell would calm him. It did.

What he needed was to know I was near. The nearness of God is a comfort to us. It is well and good to know God loves us and sees us. But our greatest comfort comes in God's nearness, in the reminders of God's existence and love and support. As parents and grandparents, as family and friends, we can be that nearness for one another. We train Stephen Ministers and pastors and elders and deacons and teachers and coaches for this too. Remember when you visit or call someone, you are the nearness of God in the flesh.

We have received meals and visits, calls and messages, gifts and cards and even a prayer shawl. We have known God's nearness. We can't wait to share it and pass it on. Be comforted by those who love you and be near to those in need.

Prayer for Today

Lord, let me feel your nearness in the love of those you send to me. And let me be that nearness for all those in need. Amen.

"Worship is the most important thing we do." That saying predates my almost 10 years at JCPC. Last Sunday we began offering Sunday worship online. Worshiping online is different from worshipping on Sundays with the JCPC congregation. I miss all of you! It is not the same without you. I am already looking forward to the time when we can gather again in the same space to worship God. But until then, we will worship together in this virtual space online.

As we all know, these are challenging times. It would do no good to pretend otherwise. When people are facing death, severe illness, the loss of jobs, and an overall disruption of the normal patterns of life -- things are not the way they should be. I pray for all of those who are working hard to bring healing, wholeness, and a return to normalcy. We mourn with those who mourn. We grieve with those who suffer loss.

However, I wonder if there might be something good that emerges in these not-so-good times. As we practice social distancing, and as some in our nation are experiencing lockdown, how might we use this time well? For those of us who were too busy, can we now find time to do some new things that are important?

Psalm 46 begins with these words: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, . . . He [the Lord] says, 'Be still, and know that I am God.'" (Psalm 46:1-2a, 10a, NIV) Many of us now have the time to "Be still" -- whether we like it or not. I want to invite you to make the best of this "Be still" time. Set aside some of this time to pray, to read scripture, and to listen for the still, small voice of God. Resist filling up your time staring at screens every waking minute. Record your thoughts in a journal. And reach out to your neighbor with some caring act -- though you may have to use and learn about some technology to do this.

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, we pray for all of those who are hurting. Bring healing and wholeness to their lives. Bring a swift end to this pandemic. Give strength and wisdom to all who are fighting it. And in this time of real loss, help us to find and do what is good. We pray this in the strong name of the Christ. Amen.

I have often heard the phrase, "God is as near as your every breath." What does that mean for you? How often do you notice your breathing throughout the day? When it's so quiet, that it's the only sound you hear... or when it's more pronounced like when you are exercising (on purpose or when you are trying to hurry). I would invite you today to be more aware of your every breath, and when you do remember that God is near to you. Use the familiar scripture with maybe some unfamiliar phrasing from Psalm 23 in The Message to help you breathe and pray today.

As we continue to navigate being away from each other and still wanting to stay connected, we are continuing to look for ways to help you connect with your church family. Would you like to connect with a small group? Many are meeting online through Zoom video chat and others are connecting through phone and email. Would you like to find someone to pray with and for during this time? Are you looking for a way to do Bible study or have a daily devotion to read? Look to the left side bar of this message under Quick Links, you will find several easy to access devotionals to use during this time. Please contact me (allisons@jcpcusa.org) to connect, pray and travel this journey together. 

Prayer for Today

This is a reminder that God's spirit abides in each of us. 
God, my shepherd! (breathe in)
I don't need a thing (breathe out)
You have bedded me down in lush meadows, (breathe in)
you find me quiet pools to drink from. (breathe out)
True to your word, (breathe in)
you let me catch my breath (breathe out)
and send me in the right direction. (breathe in)
Even when the way goes through
Death Valley, (breathe out)
I'm not afraid (breathe in)
when you walk at my side. (breathe out)
Your trusty shepherd's crook (breathe in)
makes me feel secure. (breathe out)
You serve me a six-course dinner (breathe in)
right in front of my enemies. (breathe out)
You revive my drooping head; (breathe in)
my cup brims with blessing. (breathe out)
Your beauty and love chase after me (breathe in)
every day of my life. (breathe out)
I'm back home in the house of God (breathe in)
for the rest of my life. (breathe out)
Amen. 

Life doesn't feel normal. I want life as I've known it to be normal, but I can't deny the fact that it isn't normal and might not be for some time. Each day seems to rob us a little bit more of our normal lives because of the coronavirus pandemic. What can help as our lives are influx?

A minster I highly respect, Dr. Charles Poole, wrote that in the face of our loss of normalcy we need the beauty of constancy; the type of constancy that flowers such as the azaleas awaken us to through the beauty of Spring.

The constancy of Spring is needed in this time of loss. Here is what Dr. Poole said:

"Constancy which seems so much more beautiful and important in the absence of normalcy; which is what most of us have lost. Some, sadly have lost health, loved ones, and life. Many others have lost income and work. What all of us have lost is normalcy; the privileged normalcy of going to gyms and restaurants, parties and dinners; the basic normalcy of grocery shopping with confidence; the needed normalcy of gathering for worship, fellowship, school, and recreation. And, even, the intimate normalcy of visiting, and embracing, loved ones beyond our immediate family.

If, as one wise soul once said, "Grief is the aftermath of any deeply felt loss", this present moment of social isolation and distancing is a season of global, national, local, congregational, and personal grief; grieving the loss of so much of the normalcy most of us have always taken for granted."

I've been drawn to the beauty of constancy as I've posted floral pictures on-line the past several days. How about you? Here's the beauty of spring witness through our Daffodils 4 Hope.

The psalmist speaks to the constancy of God this way: "God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Psalm 46: 1

How can we bring some beautiful constancy to our church lives during times of trouble and social distancing?

I will be offering a virtual meeting entitled Solace several times a week on the Zoom platform. Solace will be a time to check in, hear about some self-care suggestions and share faith together as well as fellowship.

Click here for instructions on how to use zoom. 

Prayer for Today

Keep us safe In your constant and ever-present love, O Lord, our rock and our strength and in our loss of normalcy, grant us peace, assurance of your care, and the solace that restores our souls. Amen.

Most Fridays, I will plan to use "Reflections" to update you on upcoming events, worship, and other important information you may need to know. This Sunday, we will begin our online worship service. You can watch it anytime beginning early Sunday morning from our website at jcpcusa.org. In addition to sermon and scripture, Heidi and Christian, our Co-Directors of Music, have planned some outstanding worship music. My message is entitled "Social Distancing" and it will be based on Matthew 22:35-40. When you watch the service, it would be good to find a Bible to have with you so you can read along.

On our church website we will also have "Church at Home" resources. This will include prayers, Bible studies, videos, and other links for your spiritual enrichment at home. We also want to encourage everyone to continue with their generous giving, even though we're not meeting at the church for worship and other activities. Your staff and your church leadership are working hard every day to make a difference in the lives of our community and our members. From creating a brand new worship service online, to providing resources that anyone can use at home, to caring for the most vulnerable of our church members, to creating times for online fellowship - your giving is what makes this happen. So, please use whatever way works for you -- whether it's mailing a check, dropping it by the church mailbox or office, or giving online through the church website or our JCPC app. Thank you for your generous and faithful giving!

Please keep our session and our staff in your prayers as we have our first online virtual meeting this Saturday morning. Pray that God would guide our decisions so that we can fulfill the mission of our church in these unprecedented times.

Finally, I have included a link to a wonderful prayer I found online at Christianity Today. It can serve as a guide for us to know how we should pray during this pandemic. I am choosing to use one of the petitions each day during my devotions to guide my prayers. I am also praying for you, the members of our congregation, every day.

"20 Prayers to Pray During This Pandemic" by Jen Pollock Michel

. . . This list isn't comprehensive, of course, but it's a good place to start. My hope is that it can provide words for us as we pray collectively (if also virtually!) as a church body. We believe there is a God who bends his ear to listen, and so we pray:

1. For the sick and infected: God, heal and help. Sustain bodies and spirits. Contain the spread of infection.

2. For our vulnerable populations: God, protect our elderly and those suffering from chronic disease. Provide for the poor, especially the uninsured.

3. For the young and the strong: God, give them the necessary caution to keep them from unwittingly spreading this disease. Inspire them to help.

4. For our local, state, and federal governments: God, help our elected officials as they allocate the necessary resources for combatting this pandemic. Help them to provide more tests.

5. For our scientific community, leading the charge to understand the disease and communicate its gravity: God, give them knowledge, wisdom, and a persuasive voice.

6. For the media, committed to providing up-to-date information: God, help them to communicate with appropriate seriousness without causing panic.

7. For consumers of media, looking to be well-informed: God, help us find the most helpful local information to equip us to be good neighbors. Keep us from anxiety and panic, and enable us to implement the recommended strategies, even at a cost to ourselves.

8. For those with mental health challenges who feel isolated, anxious, and helpless: God, provide them every necessary support.

9. For the homeless, unable to practice the protocols of social distancing in the shelter system: Protect them from disease, and provide isolation shelters in every city.

10. For international travelers stuck in foreign countries: God, help them return home safely and quickly.

11. For Christian missionaries throughout the world, especially in areas with high rates of infection: God, provide them with words of hope, and equip them to love and serve those around them.

12. For workers in a variety of industries facing layoffs and financial hardship: God, keep them from panic, and inspire your church to generously support them.

13. For families with young children at home for the foreseeable future: God, help mothers and fathers to partner together creatively for the care and flourishing of their children. For single mothers and fathers, grow their networks of support.

14. For parents who cannot stay home from work but must find care for their children: God, present them with creative solutions.

15. For those in need of regular therapies and treatments that must now be postponed: God, help them to stay patient and positive.

16. For business leaders making difficult decisions that affect the lives of their employees: God, give these women and men wisdom, and help them to lead self-sacrificially.

17. For pastors and church leaders faced with the challenges of social distancing: God, help them to creatively imagine how to pastor their congregants and love their cities well.

18. For college and university students, whose courses of study are changing, whose placements are cancelled, whose graduation is uncertain: God, show them that while life is uncertain, their trust is in you.

19. For Christians in every neighborhood, community, and city: May your Holy Spirit inspire us to pray, to give, to love, to serve, and to proclaim the gospel, that the name of Jesus Christ might be glorified around the world.

20. For frontline health care workers, we thank you for their vocational call to serve us. We also pray:

God, keep them safe and healthy. Keep their families safe and healthy.

God, help them to be knowledgeable about the diagnosis and treatment of this disease, as well as the changing protocols.

God, help them to stay clear-minded in the midst of the surrounding panic.

God, deliver them from anxiety for their own loved ones (aging parents, children, spouses, roommates).

God, give them compassion for every patient in their care.

God, provide for them financially, especially if they fall ill and are unable to work.

God, help Christians in health care to exhibit extraordinary peace, so that that many would ask about the reason for their hope. Give them opportunities to proclaim the gospel.

God, we trust that you are good and do good. Teach us to be your faithful people in this time of global crisis. Help us to follow in the footsteps of our faithful shepherd, Jesus, who laid down his life for the sake of love. Glorify his name as you equip us with everything needed for doing your will. Amen.

Prayer for Today

Prayer included in Reflections.  The link to this will also be on the sidebar under "Quick Links" so you may access it daily.

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and join this chariot." So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

Acts 8:26-31

Just a few weeks ago, shortly before Marshall was born, I took Vincent out for burgers and shakes. The waiter paused a moment and said, "this may be a weird question, but did you come in here in a Jedi robe once?" It was the same day I'd worn it to preach the message about Obi Wan and Gandalf calling Luke and Bilbo to their respective quests and Jesus calling the disciples, including Phillip.

Folks, that was 3 years ago. He didn't remember me and my face from wearing a funny outfit but because that day, an outfit I wore opened a conversation and we talked at length about church and faith and reaching people in meaningful ways.

The Spirit provides us daily opportunities to engage people in authentic and meaningful and memorable ways. Are we open? Do we respond like Phillip and ask for the stories of others and tell them our most important ones too?

Some of you must go to work and stores in the coming weeks. I hope your interactions will be brief and less close. Others of us will mostly interact by phone and conference calls. Those are still opportunities to reach people with love. They may be even greater opportunities because people are so starved for them. Look for a chance to listen and share. And then do that. Listen. Share. The Spirit is among us.

Prayer for Today

Lord, make me aware of people who want to share their story and hear mine. Make me observant to see, compassionate to listen, and brave to speak in love. Amen.