One Person’s Weeds Are Another Person’s Salad
When it comes to dandelions, I guess you could say I maintain a moderate position. I know some people who think of dandelions as nuisances to be eradicated. And I know some people who appreciate them as a delicacy to be harvested and munched on. Me? I think they’re kind of pretty and I just let them be.
These are the thoughts that rambled around in my mind as I spent time in the parsonage yard one recent day. The sun was beaming, the birds were singing, and being outdoors felt like an adventurous vacation. Having moved to the corner of Lorrain and Locust around Thanksgiving last year, this is our first spring here. It’s a sweet surprise to walk the grounds and see what comes to life, from the early-blooming forsythia to the azaleas, to the pair of dogwood trees—one yellow and one pink. On this particular day, though, it was the dandelions that really caught my attention and got me thinking about plants that pop up versus plants that are cultivated, about what is unwelcomed versus what is valued, about weeds versus salad. About perspective.
What perspective do you bring to the current situation of pandemic lockdown? We’ve been at it for something like 50 days now (I’ve lost count). Like all regular days, some are tougher, some are easier. But this unbidden sequestration wears on, and the layer of hardship gets thicker as we go. I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s time to readjust my attitude and look for the beauty, and maybe even the nutritious goodness, found in the uninvited quarantine crop. It’s not really within our garden tools to eradicate the circumstances, but maybe we can remind ourselves of the positive take aways.
I guess this is as good as any moment to count blessings and be thankful. Even when we are disheartened, gratitude is the things that pulls us from the quicksand of negativity. What’s on your list? On mine would be time to, indeed, watch nature flourish from the grand front porch and the wide back deck; time to talk for uninterrupted stretches with family and friends; time to cook favorite food and treats from scratch; time to read, read, read; time to actually order and install window coverings; time to think and pray; time to… be.
Every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. (Romans 8:28, The Message) When our lives don’t look like we ever expected, when the details are stranger than the strangest movie plot, it’s a telling time to look for what might be attractive, or even tasty. Forage for the good. It’s there.
All Goodness Be Yours,
Pastor Chris
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Some Reminders…
Food Pantry Collection
Central Moravian Church is restocking its Food Pantry shelves and invites your participation. Pastor Lynnette Delbridge writes:
Pull in front of our church office building at 73 West Church Street between 1 and 3 p.m. on May 3, 2020 (rain date May 17th). Drop your grocery bags off in the wagons by the curb, give us a wave, and be on your way. We especially need the following items: coffee, tea, rice, dried and canned beans (black, red, garbanzo, kidney, baked), evaporated or boxed milk that does not need refrigeration, peanut butter, jelly, tuna, macaroni and cheese, canned meats, soap, and toilet paper. Other canned foods, candy and food items kids would enjoy are also appreciated. We might not be in the same room together, but we can still serve others together!
Sunday Virtual Gatherings in May
10:15 a.m. Virtual Fellowship Time
Bring your own coffee, juice, and doughnuts to the screen with you and join in catching up casually with your church family! To get the chatter started, we’ll have a lighthearted mixer or question. Children are welcomed to pop in with a giggle and pop backout again, just as they might if we were physically together in Fellowship Hall. We’ll take about a half hour for all of this, allowing anyone who would like to transition to worship to do so.
If you’ll be joining via computer, tablet, or smart phone, please use the link: https://zoom.us/j/91671628972?pwd=bFcwRXJqQUhVRmJpZXJGNGdUUVpSdz09
Meeting ID: 916 7162 8972
Password: 176048
11:00 a.m. Moravian Church Without Walls Worship
Through a joint effort of the Moravian Church in both the Northern and Southern Provinces, virtual worship has been offered weekly throughout the pandemic. Lots of College Hill folks have joined in already, but there’s always room for more! (Well, unless there’s a technical glitch. But USUALLY there’s room for more.)
If you’ll be joining via computer, table, or laptop, use this link:
Tip 1: If you are a Facebook user, many of your friends are likely to be hosting “Watch Parties.” (Pastor Chris tries to do this when she can from her page: Christine Sobania Johnson.) This is an alternative way to wander into the same MCWW worship service and does not require the Zoom link.
Tip 2: To discover even further Moravian worship opportunities, please consult the updated list at https://www.moravian.org/2020/04/online-worship-opportunities/. Quite a few Moravian congregations offer livestreamed or pre-recorded worship opportunities.
6:30 p.m. Zoom Prayers
If you’re looking to quiet your spirit with a devotional and prayer focus to round out your Sabbath Day, stop by this session. Bring the concerns and the joys that are on your heart so we might pray for one another, for our congregation, and for our world.
If you’ll be joining via computer, table, or laptop, use this link:
Meeting ID: 919 6174 3369
Password: 216385
Join us for 1, 2, or all 3 gatherings on any or all Sundays. As with all things during the pandemic, things are subject to change. Keep an eye on emails or collegehillmoravian.org for updates.
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