Al Fresco Blessing

The Lord Bless you and keep you. ~ Numbers 6:24

Here’s a cheerful development in these unsettling times: Picnics are trending. Because fresh air is restorative, especially when compared to potentially virus-polluted indoor air, al fresco dining is the way to go. As with camping, golfing, biking, and other such outdoor activities, picnicking has seen a popularity surge during the Summer of 2020 that is expected to continue as long as the weather remains pleasant. In fact, interest in picnicking has led to such increased attention to picnic accessories that vintage picnic hampers from the original Longaberger Basket Company are once again selling at top dollar. (For anyone who ever collected such wares, take note!)

Just yesterday, my husband Darrell and I went on a mini-expedition and hiked a trail along the Bushkill Creek through Henry’s Woods at Jacobsburg State Park. Following the orange trail blazes deep into the forest, I was surprised to come across an historical marker describing the very spot where the Henry family enjoyed outdoor dining around the turn of the 20 ^th century. In the spring of each year, apparently, a wooden table and benches were transported by rowboat from the family home to the chosen location where the furniture stayed for the duration of the picnic season. In July and August of 1891 alone, the family hosted 27 intrepid ventures to the remote spot where they shared both nature and good eats with their guests. White linens, French enamelware dishes, silver cutlery, and all the other trappings of the Victorian age got packed in and out of the site with every visit.

My guess is that things will be a little less formal among the teachers and staff of William Penn Elementary School when they take their classroom breaks over the next few months, but they will picnic never-the-less. As schools everywhere have had to tweak, adjust, and reconfigure in order to accommodate having both kiddos and grown-ups back in the classroom safely, every building’s nooks and crannies are being fully exploited. Straining the boundaries of the faculty lounge in the era of social distancing, where else could a devoted school teacher eat lunch but outside of the building? To assist in resolving the problem of a too-small-space, our College Hill family will be lending two of the behemoth tables from our own picnic grove to our neighborhood school from now until the snow flies. We do so graciously, gleefully, and in partnership.

As I stepped out among the picnic tables in the church yard to snap the picture posted above, it occurred to me to offer a blessing over them before they are put in to service at William Penn: Gracious God, as these tables have served up nourishment of body, mind, and spirit every time the church family has come together in laughter, joy, and love, let the same be true for their use elsewhere in our neighborhood. Keep the kiddos and the grown-ups of our elementary school safe, healthy, and resilient as they teach, learn, and grow. We thank you for all good gifts, including picnics conducted among friend colleagues and set in the open air of your creation. Amen.

Be safe. Be well. Be blessed.

Pastor Chris

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From the church parking lot and the safe bubble of your own vehicle, tune to 98.5 FM and listen to live worship being broadcast from inside the College Hill sanctuary! If you’d like to participate, please arrive in the parking lot no earlier than 9:30 a.m. for the 10:00 a.m. service. Follow the instructions from your Parking Attendants, and praise God from the safe bubble of your car.

Following worship, if this is of interest to you, stick around to purchase  Grocery Gift Cards  and support the church’s fundraising efforts. To do so, please remain in your car at the end of the service and Joe & Caroline will come to you with Giant, Weis, and Valley Farm cards. Please have your cash or checks ready.

Parking Lot Worship Services are recorded and made available for viewing on YouTube.

Virtual Fellowship Time on Zoom – Sundays at 11:30 a.m.

This casual online gathering has taken root over the last few months and become a wonderful way to keep connected. Whether you’ve become a “regular” at these gatherings, or you’re thinking about dropping by for the very first time, please use the Zoom link and password provided below, or join by phone if you do not use a device with a screen.

And if Zoom is new to you and you’d like to be coached on how to get started, please email me at  moravianpastorchris@gmail.com  or call me at 484-894-9077.

To join by computer, tablet or smart phone, please go to:

https://zoom.us/j/99831347702?pwd=Vk1VWDk0RkdlUXJacWtCRGEvNFpnZz09

Passcode: 789162

To join by phone (no video), dial:

+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)

Meeting ID: 998 3134 7702  

Zoom Prayers–Sundays at 6:30 p.m.

We are also continuing to offer Zoom Prayers on Sunday evenings at 6:30. We come together to share simply in intercessory prayer on behalf of our congregation, community, and world. We usually conclude by 7:00 p.m. All are welcome! 

To join by computer, tablet, or smart phone, please go to: 

https://zoom.us/j/91961743369?pwd=S3FYVG1NSFBrb1BoaTl0dnV5ZmNFUT09

Passcode: 073131

To join by phone (no video), dial:

+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)

  Meeting ID: 919 6174 3369