Our building is open for public worship on Sunday mornings.  It’s not the same as it was last year.  It is hot.  We have open windows and do not use ceiling fans.  We keep our masks on (even during the message).  There is no singing, there is no coffee, there are no hugs.  There, we see our friends, we pray together, we hear scripture read and preached, we worship God together.  It has been nice to see folks as they are able to come.  I am still fighting with tech to try and get an online posting of our in-person experience.  (Even typing that previous sentence was a difficulty for me - but I have a new camera and a new computer and the power of the Holy Spirit working through our congregation!)   I’m hoping to get 7/19’s message posted before we gather on 7/26.  We are already planning communion for 8/2.  If you would like an e-mail of the bulletin, let me know and I will send one your way.  We do have audio recordings of the services available on CD.  Please reach out to Dan Trask to get a CD.  There was some discussion about starting the summer service earlier in the morning, and our “re-opening task force” will be convening in mid-August to offer input on how this is going.  So - it is not too late to offer your feedback and opinions. 

     We are all trying to do our best and sometimes we shine and sometimes our goals are beyond our reach.  Some days we are ready to conquer the world and perhaps later that day it’s too much of an effort to answer the phone.  These continue to be strange days and very difficult times.  God is with us at all times.  Know that your church family loves you and cares for you. 
 
Blessings, Pastor Kristi

 Have I always stayed at home? Will I ever really know what time it is - or what day it is again?  I do feel like I am finding some good in this great “Pause”.  The other day I experienced a new thing at the grocery store; I can now navigate the one-way aisles with relative ease and I have learned to slow my pace for the others who are traveling in the same direction.  I realize that I am not in a hurry.  I found myself at the dairy case, watching a woman who was parked in front of the door I needed.  She was studying her list.  She moved a couple of inches and studied the refrigerated case.  She opened the door, shut the door, again looked at her list. Eventually she selected her milk, shut the door again and began to notice the arrows on the floor around her. She then noticed that I was standing about 6 feet away and looking at the milk.  She apologized for blocking my access.  I replied that there was no problem as no one is in a hurry anymore.  She thanked me and revealed that she hadn’t been in a store for months and was feeling nervous and lost.  I assured her that folks should be patient and kind because we’ve had a huge pause to remember that we need to be mindful of others.  We parted with me saying:  “Take your time, we’ll all get what we need.  Stay well!” and I marveled that just a few months ago I would have had very different and less patient thoughts running through my head.
Later that day, I read this on FaceBook:  “You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you, making you spill your coffee everywhere.  Why did you spill coffee?  You spilled coffee because there was coffee in your cup.  Had there been tea in your cup, you would have spilled tea.  The point is whatever is inside the cup will spill out.  Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which will happen) whatever is inside you will come out.  It’s easy to fake it until you get rattled.  So, we have to ask ourselves, “What is in my cup?”  When life gets tough, what spills out?  Joy, gratefulness, peace and humility? Or does anger, bitterness and harsh words and reactions come out?  You choose!  Today let’s work on filling our cups with gratitude, forgiveness, joy, words of affirmation, kindness, gentleness and love for others.” 

Then I began to sing a camp song: Bass part Soprano part
O fill my cup - Fill my cup let it overflow
O fill my cup - Fill my cup let it overflow
O fill my Cu uuu uuu uuup
Let it overflow with Love!

May the Lord fill your cup to overflow with Love! 
Blessings, Pastor Kristi