Friends,
The church council has adopted new covid protocols. We will no longer require masks for those who have been fully vaccinated. (The full protocols appear below.) I have spent a lot of time with my mask this year and before I say goodbye to it, I wanted to share some thoughts.
A message to my mask
Thank you.
This has been a tough year and there were moments when I felt pretty hopeless and sometimes it felt like you were all I had in the fight to prevent COVID-19.
I remember the first day I wore a mask. It was a Sunday and we were told that masks could help prevent the spread of the virus. I found directions on how to make masks online so I sat down with my sewing machine and made two masks out of some leftover fabric. Dave and I put them on and looked into the mirror. Didn’t we look weird?
That weirdness faded as more and more people masked up. Masks became a fashion statement. All sorts of colors. Some were printed with some sort of statement. Sequined. I went with basic black.
You were controversial. We worried about breathing. You were hot in the summer, and we later discovered, warm in the winter. Our glasses fogged up. I know a person who wore a shield and without thinking smashed a sandwich into it at lunchtime.
You were one more thing to remember as we walked out the door in the morning.
I wondered if I would lose the ability to make appropriate facial expressions.
We discovered how many people have some level of hearing loss and rely on reading lips to help them understand speech.
The thing about prevention is that when it works, nothing happens. We will never really know if the prevention worked or if the thing we were trying to prevent would not have happened anyway.
You were just a small piece of fabric with two loops to go over my ears.
I don’t know if you stopped a covid virus from entering my lungs. I do know that it is now a year later. I have not been sick this year.
I am not entirely ready to let you go. I find you in my purse, in my workbag, in my car.
And when I do, I sigh.
I am certain you saved lives this year.
So I just want to say thank you. Sometimes small things matter a great deal. Thank you for reminding me of that.
Blessings,
Pastor Cindy
Pastor Cindy Hickman
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Ave
West Des Moines Iowa 50265
515-988-0636
Like us on Facebook or visit us at wdmumc.org.
YES! We worship! Join us! In-person at 8:30 on Sunday! Live streaming at 8:30! Or our special online service at 9:30. Worship in the way that works for you!
WDMUMC News!
This Sunday our worship series, The Promise, continues. We will also honor Memorial Day by remembering those who have died. Join in!
Changing worship time! Our In-Person Worship will change to 9 am beginning June 6th. Sleep in a little and then—come to church!
New Covid Protocol
The Church Council voted this week to adopt these new covid guidelines.
In the last few weeks, there has been good news in the effort to end the pandemic. More and more people are getting vaccinated. The CDC has stated that fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing masks or physically distancing. Governor Reynolds has encouraged the lifting of restrictions. Based on these recommendations and the current rate of infections, WDMUMC will no longer require masks and social distancing for people who are fully vaccinated. Those who are not vaccinated are encouraged to mask and distance.
As a church, we understand that everyone is using their judgment to determine what is right for their circumstances. Covid is a serious infection for those at risk. We have learned this year that masking protects people from other infections besides covid. If you would like to continue masking and distancing, you can do that. We want to find our way through this pandemic in as safe and respectful a manner as possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment