Perhaps you have heard the John Lennon quote, “Life is what happens while you are busy making plans.” Over the last few weeks, we have made lots of plans, altered those plans, revised our alterations, and just plain started over. That has been the case for Central, but I am sure it has equally been the case for all of us in different ways. Since writing my Tidings last week, we received word from Bishop Holston that we will refrain from in-person worship and gatherings through May 20th. We will continue to evaluate as the situation unfolds, knowing this date may be extended. For now, we will not meet in-person until after May 20th. Until this date, all church meetings and gatherings will either be rescheduled or held online.
Life keeps happening, but we keep planning. We are in the process now of preparing plans to resume in-person worship and gatherings. Our return to in-person church life will by necessity be measured and intentional to ensure the health and safety of our entire church family. We will communicate those plans as the time draws nearer. In the meantime, please continue to look out for emails from the church and monitor the worship and COVID-19 resource pages at www.centralmethodist.net.
In this time of uncertainty, the mission and ministry of the church continues. Our church staff and lay leadership continue to work, mostly remotely, to handle administrative functions and continue all of Central’s ministries. While we are spending less with decreased in-person activities, we still must pay bills, honor our commitments to fund community ministries, maintain facilities, and pay our dedicated and hard-working staff. Without in-person worship we have experienced a decrease in giving. If you are able, please prayerfully consider continuing to give financially. You can give online at www.centralmethodist.net/give, mail a check to the church office, or drop your offering by the church during regular office hours.
All of us are uncomfortable with uncertainty. I have heard many versions of the same questions, causing me to think about the word normal. When will get back to normal? What will normal be? Is there no such thing as normal? I do not know when we will get back to normal, what will be normal, or if normality will even exist. It is uncomfortable, but we simply cannot know.
I am reminded of the story of Abraham and Sarah from Genesis. In Genesis 12:1, God calls Abraham to leave his home and family and, “…travel to the land that I will show you.” Packing his things, Abraham left with his wife Sarah and the members of his household and began a journey, not knowing where he was going. Imagine if someone said to you, “Let’s take a trip. I don’t know where we’re going, but we’ll know it when we get there.” Would you be willing to take such a trip? Our lives feel like that sometimes. We do not know where we are going, but we seem to be getting there in a hurry. This is a time for us to plan, but it is also a time to radically depend on God’s guidance. Consider Proverbs 3:5-6,
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.”
I do not know exactly when we will be back to normal. I do not what normal will be nor if there will be a universally accepted concept of normality. Indeed, it may even feel as if we are being propelled toward an uncertain and unknown future. I do know that God calls us to be God’s people and that God will lead us to a good place. In the midst of uncertainty, let us find solace and peace in presence of our ever-faithful God.
Yours in Christ,
Thomas W. Smith