Joy and Grief

As Pastor Tuula wrote in her weekly email, during this stay-at-home time, each day is, “a mixture of grief and joy, of strangeness and routine, of faith and doubt.”  This must have been the experience for those who witnessed the events of Holy Week.  The joy of a parade on Palm Sunday, the strangeness of the Last Supper, the emotions in the Garden of Gethsemane, the grief of Friday, imagine the doubt on Saturday, and all of it coming together on Sunday.  God knows our human experience is complicated. 

And so is Holy Week this year.  So many thoughts, feelings, and unknowns.  While we walk with assurance through our Holy Week traditions, they are changed this year.  Washing hands has a whole new meaning this year.  As you wash your hands this week, remember how we wash each other’s hands on Maundy Thursday as our gesture to relate to Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. 

As we stay apart, we will know our own time in the Garden.  Loneliness, fear and anxiety.  I never thought going grocery shopping would cause fear and anxiety as it does now.  And the loneliness as we cannot be near our family and friends.  This is a time of prayer.  Jesus was “deeply grieved” we are told.  He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.”  This is a hard prayer to pray.  And he knew what was about to happen.  What is your prayer during the pandemic?   

As the deaths from COVID-19 are reported each day, we experience the tragedy and horror of this pandemic.  The grief.  On Friday, we will pause to consider the death of one man.   His anguish and suffering for us.  His last words:

And, as Pastor Tuula wrote in her email:

This is Holy Week unlike any we have observed before. Yet the simplicity and starkness of it might allow us to feel the mystery of God's story even more than usual. Without the celebrations we will be left only with the story – the story of love, betrayal, suffering, death and love again.

I invite you to observe this Holy Week with an open mind and open heart, ready to hear what God might have to say to you. After all, the risen Jesus went into the locked rooms, where the disciples were hiding out of fear. Why would Jesus not do the same for us?

May you have a blessed Holy Week.  And as you walk through all the emotions of this week, may you find joy.  We know Sunday is coming.  We know there will be an Easter.

Can't remember the day? Remember what centres us.

Wait -- what day is it? Are the days running together for you? They kind of are for me. Thankfully, the calendar reminds me that we are about to enter Holy week.

Christ’s Passion, death, and resurrection is the centre of our lives of faith and of everything St. Philip's Lutheran Church is and does. Everyone whom we serve or host; all whom we welcome, our lay leaders, the members of our choir, and our entire staff and volunteers know the importance of what we do on Palm Sunday and in Holy Week and on Easter Sunday.

This year, as we all practice social distancing in our homes apart from one another physically, we will continue to support each other and join together virtually. 

Together – Apart: Let’s Stay Connected

The coronavirus has turned our lives upside down. Stress, anxiety, and fear are being felt in homes across Canada and around the world.

Coronavirus is a real threat. We are asked to maintain physical distance to control the spread of the virus. But there is a danger in  distancing. It can lead to isolation which can lead to despair. It is important to stay connected: joining worship online, attending Bible study on Zoom, making phone calls, sending text messages and emails, and praying for each other.

Apostle Paul's words have special significance for us in this time of COVID-19:

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair....struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies" (2 Corinthians 4: 8-10).

Even in this time of being afflicted, perplexed, and struck down, we can continue to trust in the Lord of steadfast love and faithfulness.

The coronavirus does not have to crush us, drive us to despair, or destroy us, because God is always working to heal us, help us, and work for our well-being. Even in the time of physical distancing, we can continue to worship God and serve our neighbours because Jesus has promised to be with us, to work through us, and to never let us go.

Fear or Faith… which are you feeding?

I’m sure you’ve heard the story of the two dogs, or two wolves.  It’s told in many ways.  Here’s one version that is said to be a Native American Proverb:

A tribal elder is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he says to the boy.  "It is a terrible fight and it is between two dogs. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego."

He continues, "The other dog is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asks his grandfather, "Which dog will win?"

The elder simply replies, "The one you feed."

Today, and in the days ahead, as things get worse before they get better, we have a choice:  do we feed FEAR or FAITH?  Which dog will you feed?

Sunday’s Gospel reading is about Jesus walking on water, and Peter leaving the boat to try to do the same.  Again, a story of fear and faith.  Listen on Sunday to hear Pastor Tuula’s reflection on the story and what we are living through.

The days may be long and harder than we are accustomed to, but we have a choice.  Feed Faith!

We live in hope!

Today's second lesson was from Romans 5.  During these anxious days as a virus is spreading rapidly, these words remind us that we are a people who live in hope:

¹Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. ³And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. (Romans 5: 1 - 5)

And as Pastor Tuula reminded us in her sermon today:  God is with us.