Sunday Worship in Tough Times

Athabasca United Church has been busy this week with news of Covid-19 and community responses.  All doorknobs, railings, pews and phones were sterilized with bleach this week and will continue to be cleaned regularly.  We have placed sanitizers at the front door, and at tables in the Winding Trail Room and the Basement entrance.  Soap and water is still better at killing viruses.  We are already used to passing the peace in creative ways other than handshaking, whether it’s Namaste bows, Spock’s Vulcan greeting or the Peace sign with our fingers.  We continue to bless each other responsibly and this is a good reminder to think of our neighbors’ health before our own. We are also preparing at home worship kits for folks who are self-isolating.

In Singapore, church leaders worked to find a faithful moderation.  “The biggest lesson for me has been navigating the road between fear and wisdom,” said pastor Andre Tan of The City Church. “It is especially tough as fear often has a way to masquerade itself as wisdom. How many precautionary measures are actually sound judgment and how many are too much, such that they teeter over into irrational fear and anxiety?”

The guidance we've received from The United Church authorities is to respond in three ways:

Compassion

“Overwhelming statistics outlining the number of confirmed cases and deaths from COVID-19 make it easy to disassociate the numbers from the people and communities involved.

As a church, we seek a compassionate response that acknowledges the personhood attached to each statistic.
We know that the people affected include not only those infected by the COVID-19 virus but also their families, friends, co-workers, and community members. We mourn with people whose loved ones have died, who have lost community through self-isolation and limited travel, and who have lost a sense of security through fear of illness or racism.

We also offer our prayers of thanksgiving for the professionals who are providing leadership in the treatment and containment of the virus, and our prayers of concern for those who serve others, especially health professionals.”

Prevention

“We hope the most vulnerable people in our society will be able to rely on us—communities of faith—to do all that we can to prevent the spread of both the virus and of the fears surrounding it.  Our gathering places should promote good health practices, and when necessary, we can provide alternative programming for those who are most at risk or isolated.

We encourage communities of faith to

·       seek and share stories from those most affected by the virus, praying with our kin around the world

·       challenge, clarify and correct all comments about COVID-19 that are prejudiced or racist or promoting unnecessary fear

·       practise and model washing our hands often, coughing or sneezing into our sleeves, and avoiding touching our face or the faces of those who are most vulnerable

·       educate community members on how they can prevent the spread of viruses”

Prayer

“Our faithful response of compassion and prevention needs to be surrounded and guided by our continual prayer for the well-being of all people. May we continue to collaborate and learn from health care professionals as we seek ways to honor and respect all people at all times.”

“Mission & Service partners in China express their thanks for our prayers and support. Funds contributed by the United Church have helped provide much-needed medical supplies, disinfectant, protective clothing, and food items on the ground in Hubei Province.

Mission & Service partner the China Christian Council (CCC) recently wrote to the United Church:

“We would like to express our sincere thanks to all of our friends praying for and supporting China and Hubei. […] Now the epidemic is basically under control, but there are still many patients in hospital. The CCC is continuing to ship medical supplies for hospitals in Wuhan. […] We are very concerned about the situation in other countries and we call on all Christians in China to pray for the medical experts and patients of the world.”

Mission & Service partner the Amity Foundation has been actively working since January 2020 to help contain the COVID-19 outbreak, supporting hospitals and communities in fighting the virus. On March 4, they reported delivering more than 470 tons of disinfection supplies, two specially designed ambulances, 1,000 sets of respirators, 23 ventilators, 10,000 virus sampling test tubes, 8,400 packages of food and much more.

The supplies were delivered to more than 300 hospitals and medical centers in 14 cities in Hubei and Jiangsu Province.”

Back home in Athabasca United Church, unless you know you've contacted someone who is currently quarantined, OR you have a fever with cough or breathing troubles, OR you are in a high risk group, I encourage you to continue to participate in the life of the church in whichever way you see fit. Personally, I will be washing my hands more often prior to Sunday worship. We may change the way we serve communion, count the offering, have coffee time after church, and pass the peace. (with thanks to Rev. Murray Speer, Canmore United for some of this)

The scriptures tell that Jesus's care of lepers and the sick focused on the fear of illness, not the illness itself, and such fear was to be resisted.  The bible is full of commands to not be afraid, not even of death itself. In historical times of plague and outbreak, Christians and churches continued showing compassion with the most outcast and ill.

We are commanded to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  Only your personal faith can tell you whether staying home is the most loving thing for you to do, or whether continuing to boldly show hospitality in the face of human tragedy is the most loving response. We are also disciples of Jesus, and it is wise to take precautions against the spread of disease. But it is just as true that together we are the body of Christ called to serve those most in need in however we can. 

Wishing you peace, wisdom and strength,

Rev. Monica

Oh Creator God, you whose son embraced lepers, welcomed prostitutes and ate with tax collectors,
who healed with compassion,
be with us all in this time of fear.
Help us be still and know that You are our God.
Help us to discern wisdom to deal with these challenging times.
Help us to have the courage to face the news,
the compassion to care for others regardless of where they travel or live, and the faith to remember that
in life, in death, in life beyond death,
you are with us, we are not alone.
Thanks be to You oh Holy ground of all our being! Amen.