2021 was the year most of us expected to stop worrying—and maybe even hearing—about the novel coronavirus that turned the world upside down in early 2020. And in some ways, that’s been true: the miracle of rapidly developed vaccines and other treatments has meant that even two very significant variants that appeared over the past year killed many fewer people than they otherwise would have. This in turn has allowed most of us to cling to some sense of a return to normalcy.
On the other hand, it really felt like things were starting to turn a corner, especially going into Christmas. I teared up on Christmas Eve, with dozens of folks behind me in Joy’s sanctuary boldly declaring “Oh Come, Let Us Adore Him!” and again looking out at the candlelight as we sang “Silent Night”—and we even had it printed correctly in our worship bulletins for a change!
Then I got worn down and had a brush with what sure felt like Covid, though I never tested positive. And others who have avoided it for two years are suddenly finding the latest variant almost inescapable. All the momentum we were just starting to generate suddenly feels so fragile.
We are reminded, then, that this is not our momentum, but God’s. It’s not our work to fret over, but the work of the Holy Spirit in us, through us and with others. It’s not our many sacrifices that save, but the one perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, casting our worries about the present and our anxieties about the future on Him, we can step back and recognize how much we have continued to serve and share with others and one another over the last year.
We’ve continued to help transition Family Promise to serving even more families more effectively even though we are no longer physically housing guests for a week at a time. We’ve continued to help feed and clothe our neighbors through various collections. The Jenks Food Bank box just keeps filling up, though we hardly ever mention it.
Groups have begun to tentatively re-gather, including our Cluster 5 quilters and Saturday morning women’s gathering. There will be more of these re-gatherings in the months ahead.
Sister Jennie and I have adjusted our confirmation program to our current numbers by shifting from a teacher-student classroom model to a family-to-family dinner model that worked well in our previous call under similar circumstances. I expect this to continue to evolve to meet the needs of our middle schoolers and their families.
With help from our Mission Endowment Fund, we’ve moved from Zoom worship to a professionally-installed video system that streams directly to Facebook. My fear has been that we’ll miss some less techy folks in this transition, and Sarah and Sister Jennie have been trying to bring along as many as possible. But please let them know if someone seems to be falling through the cracks.
Our online presence has become increasingly important for us. Folks are discovering us that way—and though of course not all stick around after their first in-person visit, they’re able to get a strong sense of what Joy’s worship is like before that first visit. Others are able to maintain a strong online connection when circumstances prevent them from being physically present for any reason.
In addition to re-launching our confirmation program, I’ve also rediscovered my love of leading Bible studies this past year. We had great turnout for a Zoom study over Lent, as well as for an on-going study of Genesis on Sundays after worship. What we’re not well-equipped for right now is hybrid Zoom/in-person studies. I crave y’all’s feedback on what additional options would be a good investment of my time and energy.
We saw some folks on Christmas Eve we hadn’t seen in a while—even pre-pandemic. We’re seeing some guests and visitors, some of whom are jumping in eagerly, others who may never warm to us. I still don’t know if we’ll ever go back to two Sunday services, but your council is wrestling with how and when we might.
What I do know is that this community has been brought together to bless others, and it has been blessed by your presence and your generosity. Previous gifts have let us put off some of the hardest financial trade-offs my entire five years with you, and other gifts have bolstered our Mission Endowment to well over a half million dollars.
We can be burdened or anxious about our deficits and deficiencies, or we can hand those off in prayer to the One better equipped to carry that load. We face some very difficult choices right now that will determine how we step into the future together. But we do not make those choices alone.
Pastor Jon
