Good morning, everyone,
How are you? I know the standard “Iowa-nice” response is “fine” whether we are or not. If you asked me today how I am, I would say I am doing some real heart-searching. Before the pandemic, I thought I knew who I was, and who God was, and how the world worked. Now I am being challenged to re-think all of that. A few discoveries:
Familiar Patterns! I would not have said I was in a rut before the pandemic—but I certainly had my familiar patterns. A good day spent in my office watching people come and go out of the window as I worked. Date night on Friday night with Dave. Coffee with a friend. Worship. I miss the freedom and the rhythm of my life before the pandemic.
How differently we are each experiencing this. I am amazed at the wide range of responses to the pandemic. One friend is a self-proclaimed introvert, and limited time with others feels quite natural to her. Some families some days are enjoying a good time together; some families some days are pretty tired of it all. Just about everyone I know has felt a sense of grief, or sadness, or worry. I wonder if people are using more antacids during the pandemic?
The good is even better and the bad even worse. The pandemic seems to be revealing what is good about us. So many people are helping others. In the last 24 hours two people have contacted me and asked how they could help. We are learning to appreciate small gestures. Essential workers used to be just the guy who stocked shelves or the woman who delivers my mail. Now they are a lifeline. This evidence of goodness is like oxygen. The pandemic also seems to be revealing what is bad about us, where we fall short. I am realizing what privileges I have and how much I am set apart from the real suffering. We are hearing the domestic violence may be on the rise. We are certainly seeing how much hunger there is and it is clear that there is more poverty, more people living on the edge than we might have thought.
Stress. Thinking through all of this creates a lot of stress. According to Google, “stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stress is your body’s reaction to a challenge or demand.” Check, check, check. I am feeling all those things.
And God? I am looking and listening for God during this time. The world is pretty noisy right now. Our news is difficult to hear. I am longing to be with friends and family. Lots of people are reporting that they are having strange dreams. (Me too. In last night’s dream someone stole my computer screen. Just the screen not the keyboard.) And in all the brain mush, I keep an eye out for God. I find God in the tangible (that’s my theology; you do your theology). I read my bible, but I am more apt to find God in the moments I share with others. That’s probably what landed me in the church as a pastor. I experience God in our conversations, and in moments when we stand side by side and serve others. But even now when I am not able to experience those things, I hear God speaking to me in the way that God does, asking me to look closer, dive into life deeper. Heart-search. Rethink my patterns. Consider the experiences of my life that brought me to this time. Sort out good and bad and all the nuances in between. Face the feelings that I am feeling. For me right now it is as though God is inviting me to a new understanding of my faith. Maybe it is a little like working out at a spiritual gym. I don’t like the discomfort, but I trust that my soul will be more fit as I live through this.
So, how are you?
Every blessing to you, even now, especially now,
Pastor Cindy
Pastor Cindy Hickman
West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand
West Des Moines Iowa 50265
515-279-0826
Like us on Facebook or visit us at wdmumc.org
We worship at 9:30 on Sunday morning live stream and you can also watch our service at any time at our website.
This Week at WDMUMC
Everybody Eats! A year ago WDMUMC pledged that as far as it was in our power, we would do everything we could to ensure that everyone would eat. Two important ministries are underway.
Our Little Pantry provides food daily to our neighborhood. Our supplies are running low. If you would like to add a few items to your grocery list and contribute them, you can simply drop them off at the lower entrance. Our Summer Hunger program gets underway next week. We will be providing a BIG meal to 180 homes including 220 children each week. Please keep both of these ministries in your prayers.
Worship! This Sunday Pastor Trevor will preach about our heritage, where we have come from, and next Sunday Pastor Cindy will preach about our future. Where are we headed?
Worship Help! For the foreseeable future, we will be worshiping online. Our tech people are working hard to make this happen. We love seeing one another on Sunday morning and we need your help! Are you a musician? Or would you be willing to serve as a liturgist or share your thanks for the offering? Would you be willing to record yourself and submit your recording for worship? We also need pictures. Could you submit pictures of what is happening around your house, or what has inspired you? We will use them in the worship service too. You can reply to this email for more information.
Sweet Gossip! If you have some sweet gossip to share—reply to this email. We need your good news!
Thank you for being the church!
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