Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Like many of us, I have days when I feel like I hate the world I’m living in. I hate hearing the news about how many buildings were bombed in Ukraine; how many people were murdered in random shootings; how many children go to bed hungry each night. I get angry when I hear about people of color being turned away by realtors, or billionaires paying no income tax while a poor family’s home goes to a sheriff’s sale because they have to make a choice between eating and paying their taxes. My blood pressure goes up when I spend two hours fighting with an insurance company’s labyrinthine phone and messaging system, and then I wonder how people who are really ill and alone can manage it. How could any person of good faith fail to be saddened, frustrated, and incensed by the state of the world?
Fortunately, my downstairs neighbor is deaf so she doesn’t hear me stomping around on one of those bad days.
“That’s life in 2021,” some say. But what to do about it? One of our parishioner’s doctor’s said, “Stop looking at the news.” True enough. But the feelings are still there.
Apparently, it’s not life only in 2021. Take a look at this week’s Scriptures! http://www.lectionarypage.net/YearC_RCL/Lent/CLent3_RCL.html
In Exodus, God comments on the people’s misery, seeing them abused and oppressed. We read a kind of news headline in Luke: “Pilate sacrifices the blood of Galileans! Tower collapses, killing 18 in Siloam.” And in 1 Corinthians: “23,000 die at a banquet and orgy.”
If the world around us has always been so awful, how do we live? Again, this week’s Scriptures offer some hope. In Exodus, God sees the suffering, and sends in a champion to lead the Israelites out of it. Corinthians reminds us that the struggles we experience are common to all of us. And promises that God will give us the help we need to get through them. Perhaps most wonderful of all are the words of the psalmist, who sings, “You have been my helper, and under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice. My soul clings to you; your right hand holds me fast.”
Even on the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, God is with us, ready every moment to support us. All we need to do is to look up and recall that the God of power and glory is a God whose faithful love will never leave us to go through these things alone.
Looking forward to continuing this Holy Lent with you, God’s Holy People.
Mo. Laura+
March 7-April 11, Mondays, 7:00-8:00 p.m. “Writing to God” (zoom)
March 10-April 14, Thursdays, 12:00-1:00 p.m. “Living the Way of Love” (zoom)
March 13-April 3 SHAMPOO COLLECTION We are collecting full-size bottles of shampoo (no conditioner & no pumps, please) for the EHS Angel Network. We are looking for 170 by April 3. Please place your shampoo in the clear bins at the back of the church. We will also offer times to drop off your shampoo at the church office. These times are:
- Wednesdays (9:00-2:00)
- Thursday evenings by appointment
- Saturdays by appointment
- Please contact Jen Burkhardt with questions or if these times don’t work for you:
- 484-553-1227 Email smecepcm@gmail.com
March 10, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Convocation meeting with Bishop Kevin, all welcome (zoom)
- Register here: https://diobeth.org/march2022convocationmeetings/
April 10 Palm Sunday, service 9:00 a.m.
April 12 Funeral services for Joseph Hall, 2:00 p.m., church
April 14 Maundy Thursday, service in the evening (TBA)
April 15 Good Friday, service time TBA
April 17 EASTER! 9:00 a.m.
April 30 Gather 22: Hope Renewed, Diocesan Training and Gathering Day, 8:00-6:00, no cost, but registration required. https://diobeth.org/gather22/