“How Long, O Lord?”

How long, Lord?  Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me?  How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?  How long will my enemy triumph over me?”  Psalm 13:1-2

I write this message on the morning of Thursday, November 5, some 36 plus hours after voting concluded in our country.  Yet we still do not know the outcome.  While it typically takes weeks for election results to be certified, we are accustomed to having some kind of understanding of the results within a few hours, not having to wait a few days or more for answers.  With the high level of emotions around the country, and with what feels like so much at stake, the waiting feels interminable.  How long, O Lord?

While this is going on, I myself, am in a different type of holding pattern.  Yesterday morning (Nov 4), I was informed that I had been exposed via close contact to someone who has tested positive for Covid (at a funeral I officiated for a family in the community).  I called the Cooper County Public Health Department and left a message with a nurse, awaiting instruction on how to proceed.  It took over four hours to hear back.  The whole time I was thinking, How long, O Lord?  Once I did hear back, I was told (asked, requested, ordered) to quarantine for the next week or so.  Again, as I wait this time out, my thoughts are How long, O Lord?

(When I spoke with the county health department, the nurse assured me that I would not have been contagious (even if I caught the virus, of which I have no symptoms) this past Sunday, Nov 1.   If you were in worship this past Sunday, you do not need to worry about exposure if you and I interacted!) 

Waiting is never fun.  No matter if we are waiting in a line at the grocery store, waiting for test results, waiting for a vaccine, or waiting to hear who will lead our nation, we don’t like to wait.  But, we are reminded that waiting is an act of faith.  Faith in a process.  Faith in science.  Faith, ultimately, in God’s greatness and God’s goodness. 

The final words of Psalm 13, the one that begins with those words “How long, Lord?” concludes with these words of faith and hope: “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.  I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me! (Psalm 13:5-6)

In the midst of our waiting, I encourage you to put your trust in God’s unfailing love… Sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to us!

Blessings, Chris

Worship This Sunday

This Sunday Rob Gordon will bring our message.  We are beginning a 3-week message series titled “Praying the Psalms.”  This week the message will be about “Psalms of Praise.”  Our scripture reading for Sunday comes from Psalm 100:

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. 

We will begin our service with the song Who You Are to Me by Chris Tomlin and Lady A.  Our hymns for Sunday include: O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing and Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.  Additionally, our video hymn this week is 10,000 Reasons, by Matt Redman.

Community Health Updates

Our county is currently experiencing more active cases of COVID-19 than we have to this point.  We must remain vigilant in the practices of keeping not just ourselves, but those around us safe by wearing masks, keeping a safe distance from others and sanitizing or washing your hands as often as appropriate.  Remember, these practices are a way we show our love to our neighbor.  Additionally, if anyone who normally attends the 10:20 service would be willing to come to the 8:00 service, it would help us provide more room for new folks at the 10:20 service.  (Also, if you are worried at all about being able to socially distance at the 10:20 service, there is plenty of room to do at the 8:00 service.)

As the COVID-19 virus continues its presence in our community, we know that many of you are still not ready to come to worship. Please know that even though we don’t get to see you weekly, we still want to minister to you.  Every Sunday afternoon we will post a recording of our 10:20 worship service on our Facebook page and the message on our website.  We hope this helps you feel connected until we are able to gather again without concern. 

In addition to measures in place around COVID, we also encourage you to get a flu shot this year.  Below is some information on Flu shot opportunities in the area.

Columbia – Drive-thru Flu Clinics for anyone ages 6 months and older to receive a vaccination. South Providence Medical Park – A drive-thru flu vaccination clinic will occur every Saturday beginning Sept. 19 to Nov. 14 from 8 a.m. to noon on the east side of the building. Signs will direct traffic flow. 

Howard County – https://www.howardcountypublichealthdepartment.com/about1 – doesn’t have a drive thru clinic planned but has vaccines available through the county health department. 

Announcements

Freezer Meal Cooking Party  – Join us for a healthy freezer meal cooking party on Saturday November 14 at 9 AM. We will start with a light breakfast and coffee then we will be working together to assemble 3 healthy meals for you to take home and put in your freezer or keep in the fridge for an easy weeknight meal. Be sure to sign up if you are interested as we will be voting on which meals to make and so that we make sure to order enough ingredients. If you have any questions, please contact Jill Granneman or Melissa Baker.

Roll Up Your Sleeves – With flu season beginning and COVID hanging around, blood and platelet donations continue to be essential to hospital patients.  Donors are needed to come together to help others in this time of need.  We will be hosting a blood drive through the American Red Cross Tuesday, December 1, from 2 – 6 pm in our Fellowship Hall.  Stay tuned for more information about this but please help spread the word.  If you would like to register to donate, please visit the online scheduler (you will have to search by our zip code – 65233). https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/donation-time   We are hoping for at least 20-25 donors at this event. 

Christmas Program Rehearsals Have Begun – Practices for the children’s Christmas program will started November 1^st. If your child would like to participate, please let Risa Venable, Chelsea Jackson, or Melissa Baker know.

Salvation Army Bell-Ringing  – We are scheduled to “ring the bells” at Walmart on Saturday, December 12, 2020. We will need volunteers for one hour time slots from 10 AM – 6 PM. A sign-up sheet will be in the East wing narthex (where we serve refreshments after worship).

2020 Angel Tree – It is hard to believe Angel Tree is sneaking up on us. Our angels will appear on our tree on Sunday, November 22nd. We will need the children’s gifts back in the sanctuary no later than Sunday, December 6th for the dedication of the gifts. The Angel Tree Party will be held at the church on Saturday, Dec. 12th at 11:00 a.m., beginning with a short message in the sanctuary and soup and sandwiches to follow in Fellowship Hall. Our Education committee will be joining us in this special ministry. All of our church members are invited to join with us in fellowship with our “angels.” As always, we are so grateful for the way in which our church family supports this Matthew 25 ministry to the children of incarcerated parents. If you have any questions please contact Karma Haller or Debra Windsor. Thank you.

Events this week:

Sunday, November 8: Youth Group, 4:00 pm @ the Jackson’s

Monday, November 9: TOPS, 9:30 am

Al-Anon, 8:00 pm, Fellowship Hall

Tuesday, November 10: NAMI, 6:30 pm

Wednesday, November 11: Veteran’s Day

Bible Study, 9:00 am, Church Lounge

Al-Anon, Noon, Fellowship Hall

Church Council, 6:00 pm, Foundation Classroom

Saturday, November 14: Methodist Men’s Meeting, 8:30 am, Church Lounge

Freezer Meal Cooking Party, 9:00 am, Church Kitchen

Closing Words of Wisdom:

Thanksgiving is inseparable from true prayer; it is almost essentially connected with it. One who always prays is ever giving praise, whether in ease or pain, both for prosperity and for the greatest adversity. He blesses God for all things, looks on them as coming from Him, and receives them for His sake- not choosing nor refusing, liking or disliking, anything, but only as it is agreeable or disagreeable to His perfect will.” ― John Wesley