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I suppose because I begin each day in devotional mode, I can’t help linking the Lenten study with current events; and that link carries over into my blogging reflections. Last night I watched a portion of a cable news program devoted to the 2020 pandemic. Hosted by one of broadcast journalism’s most trusted and reliable journalist, it included the obligatory panel of experts offering commentary on the coronavirus and its impact upon society. As I recall, someone used the phrase “a new normal” and someone else  stated “This is new to us; we have never in this country had to face something like this virus.” The sentiments are true. COVID-19 has disrupted the norms and interrupted our plans, individually and collectively. Because of it we feel awkward in our interactions with one another. One of the program’s guest was adamant in expressing his opinion that we definitely ought not be shaking hands with each other. Something called the “elbow bump” has replaced the hand shake, joining “social distancing” as characteristics of this new normal.

In today’s Interruptions lesson, the author focuses upon how Jesus not only interrupted the Samaritan woman’s daily routine, but also broke cultural norms of the day when He spoke to her. Suffice it to say Jesus is not one to whom we  look for how to follow societal or culture guidelines,  because His ministry usually confronted and challenged them. The United States of America is a proclaimed Christian nation. That moniker has identified us since our founding; and though we espouse religious freedom as a hallmark -other religious views are not banned- the vast majority of the population professes the Christian faith, meaning literally we are followers of Christ. Jesus is our lodestar. And if our lodestar was an interrupter and disrupter of cultural and societal norms, what does that mean for us who follow Him? In this era when we find ourselves caught in the throes of this pandemic what ought we do, what can we do in the context of a new normal? I propose we need an additional voice on the panels of experts, at the  press conference podiums, and in the virtual conferences. We need an interrupter, a disrupter, a confronter. We need an ordained man of the Christian faith who is in sync with the gospel of Jesus Christ; who brings to the table, not governmental, scientific, or medial expertise of how best to address this crisis, but instead positions the word of God as part of the solutions under consideration. Yes, we need the medical and scientific professions to do what they do best,  and a sane government to govern responsibly and wisely to address the new normal, but even more than those we need people of faith in a professed Christian nation to look beyond the secular.

Our norm is separation of church and state. Whether we like it or not, that norm is being been challenged, and rightly so. It is not just secular experts and leaders whose voices the nation needs to hear on the airwaves and in print media. The people need to hear in addition to the secular proclamations, words of scripture that speak to their faith in God, in Jesus and HIs teachings.  This is not the time for the  norm of separation of church and state; not in a nation of faith that prints “In God we trust” on its paper currency and has a law that states that phrase is the nation’s  official motto. If this is the national motto of the nation that identifies itself a Christian nation, this is also the time to be like the Jesus in whom we believe. Let His words in the book that guides believers of the faith be spoken aloud to offer encouragement and hope; to take away fear and worry; to bring instead peace, and joy and an endearing spirit that is His Spirit and our hope. As Jesus modeled, bring on those who will interrupt at such a time as this with that which anchors Christians during times of trial, of tribulation and yes, pestilence.

Love. Joy. Peace.

This: Today marks the half way point of Lent, the twentieth day of our countdown to Easter. It has been a season unlike any I’ve known since I began observing it some forty odd years ago. We United Methodists embrace the significance of this period of preparation for Resurrection Sunday, much like our Catholic brethren.  In the past this has been a time of denial of some kind – fasting (something I’ve yet to master), giving up some leisure activity or favorite food, studying a 40 day devotional with others of like mind, taking on something that requires a sacrifice – but Lent 2020 has a totally different flavor. With the coronavirus striking at about the same time Lent began, our usual Lenten practices and activities have been interrupted or disrupted. Advised to practice “social distancing,” (We can coin at the  proverbial “drop of a hat” phrases to describe the latest cultural trend), we find ourselves more physically isolated this Lenten season, more dependent upon virtual contact via our smartphones and tablets with their apps like Zoom; and the latest in electronic contact, our portals and live streaming on those devices as well as our televisions. We find ourselves calling, emailing  and text messaging more to connect and keep in touch. Erased from this season are the rituals that always defined it: children’s  Easter program rehearsals, more choir practices, Easter egg hunts, in- store shopping for frilly dresses, patent leather Mary Janes and seersucker suits and bow ties, Easter brunch reservations at favorite restaurants or hotels, and of course, Spring Break.  No need for that ritual of youth-schools are closed anyway. An interruption on a grand scale pushes us into a new normal during this most sacred of Christian seasons. The faithful are called to prayer and reflection as we watch and wait to see what the Lord is doing. Whatever it is, we are confident it will be for His glory and our good.

That: I kept my hair appointment this morning.  Though many are  having second thoughts about doing so, I decided as long as there were the usual two to three women there, it would be fine. Only one other client “shared the air” for most of the visit (thankfully I have such short hair, it takes only an hour to do the do}; I was finished by the time a couple more came in.   I was not disappointed during my visit. If nothing else, you can count on the talk of the shop for bizarre thinking (someone’s brother proffers that the man who would be president created COVID-19 just so he can be credited for the cure which he has already); for the latest gossip; and sometimes for the wisdom that falls to those to whom God grants longevity. A sister septuagenarian proclaimed there is no way she’s not getting her hair done even if they say older people should stay at home. Her comment worth mentioning: ” God’s got me. If the virus is gonna get me, girl, my hair still has to be looking good.” Of course we all  laughed. As I think about it now, it’s not her literal comment that has relevance, but the underlying statement of faith I heard in it. God is in control. Even if He doesn’t protect her from the virus, He is still in control and she’s going to look her best no matter what. I think the Lord is okay with that – wanting to be our best for Him, virus or no.

Love. Joy. Peace.

Each of the devotionals in Interruptions, the book I referenced yesterday written by Jacob Armstrong, concludes with a prayer. Today’s prayer asks God to both interrupt our lives as Jesus did that of the Samaritan woman He met at a well when He stopped to refresh Himself, and to come to us where we are even if it means our lives will be disrupted. From my perspective, I think this prayer written in 2014 by the author is being answered now in 2020. For surely this COVID-19 pandemic that runs rampant around the globe today is both an interrupter and a disrupter of our lives.

Life as we knew it less than a month ago fades daily – schools are closed, shops, stores, entertainment venues shut down, infrastructure that governs  how we interact with each other refashioned, borders closed, travel banned, hospitals and nursing homes that care for the vulnerable among us closed to visitors, isolating both staff, residents and patients – the list goes on, as each day brings some new prohibition.  All we took for granted as we went about our daily routines, as did the Samaritan woman drawing water at the well, disrupted. In her case by Jesus directly; in ours by the pandemic God has allowed.

This 2020 interruption will hopefully get our attention beyond the hysteria of the moment and bring to light who God is,  as the Samaritan woman came to know who Jesus was – someone who knew all about her. This same Jesus, this  same God who allows this  interruption and disruption of our lives now knows all about us too. He knows the condition of our heart, the sins we cover up as we go about our usual routines. This pandemic has shone a spotlight on who and what we value – on how we treat one another – on our relationship with the God in whom we profess to believe. As we continue to seek tests and treatments to contain the virus, to adjust to conditions unfathomed for most of us here in the United States, may we find our way to a new normalcy; one that turns us to God our heavenly Father and secures our future with Him. This my hope, my prayer.

Love. Joy. Peace.

My prayer line’s 2020 Lenten study book  is Interruptions by Jacob Armstrong. We used it a few seasons ago and decided to resurrect it this year. Little did we know when we selected it that it would be the perfect backdrop for what we face today: an interruption of such magnitude that it’s difficult to understand it as anything except God demanding our attention. The study book follows Jesus’ ministry and highlights the interruptions that He faced as He went about it, and how those interruptions became opportunities. It suggests that all interruptions we encounter should be viewed as opportunities to stop and examine how we might better live the faith we profess; that interruptions are chances for us to redirect our pursuits, to reflect upon what God deems important, to drawer closer to Him and His purposes for our lives.

Surely in this time of shutdowns and closures and bans of all kinds, as our daily routines are interrupted in ways we could not have imagined just a few weeks ago, we are wise to figure out how to fashion this interruption to our individual and collective status quos into opportunities that reflect our faith principles. What might Jesus be calling us to do as this interruption continues? Already we get some signs. Neighbors are checking on the elderly and more vulnerable in their communities, reaching out to offer assistance if needed. In nursing homes and care facilities, staff are using their personal smart phones to provide opportunities for residents to facetime family. Friends are keeping in touch via more phone calls and text messaging. Churches are expanding worship opportunities beyond the walls of sanctuaries so that the gospel message reaches through virtual services many who would not otherwise receive it.

Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted life around the world. It has forced all humanity, from peasant to president,  to acknowledge that irrespective of how powerful we perceive ourselves to be, how in control of our destinies we think we are, how prepared we are for the threat of natural and man-made disasters, we  do not have complete control of anything.  Life is unpredictable. Interruptions come in all forms. They stop us in our tracks; they stun our sensibilities; they frighten us; they send us into panic mode. But they also offer us an opportunity to reverse course; to seek a better way; to turn back to the teachings of our faith convictions and embrace them in how we live in relationship with one another. As time marches onward during this latest interruption, may we who are Jesus people do what He did when He was interrupted. May we seek the opportunity within the interruption  and trust God to guide us in our responses.

Love. Joy and Peace.

 

I first heard the term “a new normal” twelve years ago when my husband changed his address to heaven. It was and is the expression used to describe life that has lost its usual markers and descriptors,  life that has to create and adapt new ones. At the time I didn’t realize that a new normal is not a one-off.  When my 34 year old son suffered a life-altering hemorrhagic stroke four years ago, I said hello to my second “new normal,” never thinking I’d experience another so soon.  But once again that curve ball life seems to delight in throwing strikes again. Only this time it wasn’t aimed at just me.  All of our lives are being turned upside down by the onset of the coronavirus,  another  “new normal.” And what a new normal it is proving to be.

What event in modern times in the US has been the impetus for shutting down professional and non-professional sporting events? Closing schools at all levels? Banning visitations to hospitals and care facilities? Restricting crowd sizes at public events?  Closing stores and bars and any number of places and institutions that are hallmarks of our civilizations? What in modern history has shut the doors of places of worship on a Sunday morning in the nation that identifies itself by its faith profession as a Christian nation?

Yes, the new normal of life in a world under attack by a deadly virus causes us to reflect, not just on testing kits, toilet paper shortages, and video images of people in fights inside grocery stores. This new normal forces us to look beyond our own needs, to consider how closely connected we are; how dependent on one another in ways outside the box of family and close friends. It reminds me of the scripture in 1 Corinthians 12:1-27 that compares the body of the church-its members of whom we all are if we call ourselves Christians- to the physical body’s many parts: feet, hands, ears, eyes, weaker parts, and unpresentable parts. The Apostle Paul writes all parts of the physical body have purpose and value; that if one part suffers, every part suffers with it. We who claim Jesus and profess Christianity are part of the body of Christ. We all have a part in responding to what happens to that body. None of us is immune to what may happen to another affected directly or indirectly by this “new normal.” Somehow we must adjust for as long as it takes to life as we have known it being in disarray; to let our actions demonstrate our faith convictions; to turn from hoarding, from judging, from turning a blind eye to another’s suffering, to understanding the trickle down effects upon the least among us. They are the ones who must cope with lost wages, closed schools, having to  balance child care with needing to work. What does the new normal of COVID-19 require of the body of believers who call themselves Christians? To me it’s a question  that demands we self examine; that we find ways to respond for the benefit of all. And I suggest we begin that purposeful examination with prayer for ourselves, for other members of our collective body and for the world.

“If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

What better time than this to return to the site. As the coronavirus threat grows steadily  around the world, we in the US are coming to terms with it in ways new to me. For the first time I have witnessed and been caught up in what I’m terming mob mentality.  I’ve seen the images of crowded stores and empty shelves on television, but not until yesterday did I witness the panic this virus is causing. Here in  a little country town of just over 7000 residents, the large and always adequately stocked local  grocery store was jammed with shoppers of all demographics. Only five shopping carts were available; why  I grabbed one remains a mystery. The three items I went in to buy did not require a cart! . The frenzy of shoppers in every aisle and the long, long checkout lines brought home the reality that people were panicked. Both food and non-food shelves were empty; the meat department sold out. Despite my incredulity at what I saw, soon I too was picking up items I had not come to buy. As I passed through the aisles, a little panic imp whispered, ” Better get that, You may need it,” And so I did. My three items swelled to more than triple that number, Items I use, yes, but not items I needed at the moment. Later as I  pondered the experience, I thought how easily I was caught up in the mood of the crowd;  how panic takes over and reasonable thought flies away. .  Even those of us who  know better, who know the Lord and His promises,  can be carried along by the mentality of the mob. The virus threat is real. People will contract it; some will be hospitalized;  some will recover; some will die, Those are the truths of pandemics that strike humanity. But the greater truth is panic responses are never antidotes; they serve only to multiply the difficulties communities face in times of crisis. I am abashed that I allowed myself to fall under its sway. I wish I could have gone in the store and come out with just the three items I needed and nothing more. As this emergency continues, I will intentionally seek the peace that Jesus promises to all who believe in Him as Savior and Lord. And I will demonstrate that peace in my actions, no matter what the mob is doing. Stay tuned to this space. Blessings.

Like the prodigal son who made ill-advised choices that resulted in ruin and desperation, I the prodigal blogger,  chose to put my reflections and musings on the backburner as I dealt with what I considered more important endeavors. In the end both he and I realize the best place to be is the place we left. Home. So today I return to my website with some contrition hoping those who follow me will do so again. And if not, I’ll write anyway, During this self-imposed hiatus, the words have not stopped  tumbling around in my head. If anything they are more insistent than ever in their desire to be exposed and shared. My intent is to use the gift of word crafting to stir others to purposeful living within the context of faith. I spent the last six months or so writing my fourth book, The Rigor of the Call. It is with my publisher awaiting its turn to be massaged into what I hope will be my best effort yet. It takes a serious look at what it means to claim Christianity as ones faith; and how difficult it is to execute that claim in the era in which we live. I’ll share information when it becomes available for purchase, Today, with anyone who is aware of the tenor of the times, I am convinced that the nation needs a course correction. And that correction will come only with change in the political landscape of the executive branch of our government.  That said, I intend to share on the site words of hope and encouragement as the nation struggles politically and socially. The spread of a virus now declared a pandemic around the world adds to the uneasiness of the times. Many ask, “Where is God in all this confusion?” I answer He is where He always is and will be. Sovereign and in control even when circumstances might suggest otherwise. We are not alone; we need not fear. In the midst of the craziness that emanates daily from the White House and the messiness of world events – like pandemics.  God is in control. In that certainty, from my perspective,  there is peace.

Even if you as I do   believe that God involves Himself in our lives  intentionally to achieve His purposes, you might scratch your head and say, “I don’t know if that was God or coincidence,” when I share an incident that occurred today. An incident I believe He orchestrated.

I was at my nail appointment following my technician to the chair she was readying for me when suddenly she turned and pointed to the other side of the salon and motioned for me to sit next to a teenaged young woman who was getting a pedicure. Within a few minutes, I learned that her name was Hannah and she was leaving for  college in Alabama; and in fact was leaving that evening. Tears sprang easily to her mom’s eyes as she shared that this would be the first time in eighteen years their only child would not be in the home. She said it was a bitter sweet time in their lives. I could relate and shared my experiences when our son did the same. For the next half hour or so, we chatted  back and forth, with Hannah offering the occasionally comment.  When I asked if they were driving her or she was flying, Hannah said no; she was going on the party bus,”  a group of college bound kids traveling together by chartered bus to the same college.  Her mom said that was the newest trend!

At that point, I paused, looked in mother’s eyes and said,  “I’m assuming you are Christian believers.” Mom replied yes with a nod of her head. That was all I needed to begin addressing Hannah directly re her faith being her primary resource as she entered this season of her life; how she must stand on the standards of her faith when she was confronted with lines she should not cross; that she would make mistakes but it would be her faith that help her get back on track.” I told her I would pray for safe travel  and wished her success. As I spoke I could see her mom. She leaned back and kept nodding affirmatively to my comments. And as they proceeded to the front of the salon, the mother turned around to thank me.

Later I thought about the encounter. My women’s prayer group is named Hannah’s Descendants. We operate a nationwide prayer line five days weekly. I wished I had told Hannah about the prayer group and that I would be lifting her up on the line.   I think God  aligned the meeting of this young girl named Hannah and me, a member of Hannah’s Descendants, Inc. at this nail appointment. And even though I spoke words of encouragement, I wish I had done more; I wish I had done what the biblical Hannah did.  At that moment as Hannah was leaving, I wish I had prayed; not later but right then.

Peace. Joy. Love.

 

I think all of us as Christian believers will agree that God’s love is steadfast; that it isn’t an “on again off again” kind of emotion. Steadfast love is forever, never wavering or dependent upon circumstances. It’s love we can count on.

That’s God’s love. What about ours for Him? Is it the same? We profess we love Him.  We say it aloud and silently in prayer; we sing it in song. But if we examine what we describe as our love for God, is it truly steadfast; or is it more “circumstantial love?”

That is a question worth pondering during this Eastertide season. We’re in day 12 of this 50 day celebration following Resurrection Sunday until the day of Pentecost.  What better time to reflect upon the status of our love for the God who offered His son as a gift of love for our salvation. Now THAT was love! What about us? Is our love for God sacrificial? Is it constant during all seasons? Does it waver during times of crisis? Can life’s storms and unpredictable situations shake it? Do we love God only when He answers  prayers? Do we love Him even when  prayers go unanswered?  Is our Love for God unshakable?

It takes courage and honesty to answer those questions. And more than likely it will require us to confess that there have been and are times when we have failed to love God with a steadfast love. Let us covenant this Eastertide to grow in our faith commitment by holding to God’s steadfast love by steadfastly loving Him in return.

Peace. Joy. Love.