Will We Learn from the COVID pandemic?

What were you doing two years ago?

I was recovering from shoulder surgery and leading my congregation through a decision to sell our building and relocate. We were holding two worship services each month at an offsite location to prepare ourselves for a potential sale and move, while worshiping in our beloved building the other weeks. That time seems so precious now, not only because the sale went through at about this time last year and the congregation is worshiping in a new location; but also because of the COVID pandemic that hit in March of 2020.

It seems like a long time ago at this point that we were all going about our business, making plans and living life without the constraints of a global pandemic dogging us at every step. The hubs and I often reflect on how the last two years have gone quickly but also how the “time before” seems like SO long ago. Much has changed beyond the pandemic, of course; but it seems as if every time we begin to get ahead of COVID it comes raging back, sickening and killing thousands of people (over 800,00 to date in the United States alone.)

If you’re exhausted by COVID, I don’t blame you. You’re not alone. It is terribly tiring to have to be constantly vigilant, constantly hearing about new strains of the disease and how it might or might not affect the ones we love. It’s exhausting to keep having to remember a mask when you go out, or to make decisions not go out at all unless necessary. It doesn’t help that there are many people who still won’t get vaccinated, because vaccination is the best way to get beyond COVID in the shortest time possible without losing members of our communites to death by COVID. (Please! Get vaccinated!)

In time, this too shall pass (as they say.) How will we move forward with the lessons learned from this pandemic season? My fear is that we won’t learn from it at all. We won’t learn that public health isn’t about us as individuals but is about community. We won’t learn that those on the front lines– medical personnel, grocery store and restaurant workers, nursing home and home health aides– deserve not only livable wages and health care but also the opportunity for self-care built into their job descriptions. The people we usually take for granted, who serve our food and clean up after us, who are there to fix our wounds and sicknesses, who deliver our packages and mail, must be recognized as an important part of our lives– economically, socially, civilly.

Delusion

Step right up friends, don’t be shy! You’re about to see the greatest show on earth– a show of such misguided bull— that you won’t believe your eyes! Watch as people deny that they’re living in a pandemic! Watch as people deny that their lives need to change! Watch as people actually believe that they can power through this time as they’ve powered through so many other catastrophes in their lives!

See the rising death rate? What’s a few hundred thousand deaths if we can still watch baseball. See the number of active positive cases spike into the millions? What’s a few sick people if we can still go shopping and eat out. See the hotspots that are mostly nursing homes and prisons? What’s a few dead old people and criminals if we can still go to church? Yes, it’s a pandemic, but people are going to die in a pandemic and we just need to accept that.

See the brave men and women not wearing masks! It is their constitutional right to not wear one, amiright? See the poor fools who wear masks– they really believe that they’re protecting themselves and other people. They say it’s science– ha! What has science got to do with it? We don’t believe in science anymore. What good is science anyway? All it has done is cure and prevent diseases like small pox and polio. All it has done is find ways to increase crop production for farmers so we have enough food to eat.

See the children! The poor children who can’t go to school. They’re going to miss out! They might not get to play their sports that will get them into college and into a high-paying pro sport career! They might not be socialized correctly! They might not learn anything! Heaven knows you can’t learn anything over the internet, except which celebrities are dating and what kind of makeup to wear. The internet was created by science and, well, we’ve already shown you how useless science is.

And the economy! If workers are too busy teaching their kids they can’t be productive! People who aren’t working might not be able to buy things! Businesses might have to close! Job creators and investors might lose money! Normal people who are not lazy might have to go on the dole! Watch us as we ask for– no DEMAND– business as usual. It is our birthright, business as usual, we must have it.

Now, I’m going to warn you– this next part is scary. Watch as the poor begin to resist bearing the burden of normalcy. Watch as black and brown people protest carrying the white man’s burdens. Don’t let your children, named Ignorance and Want, show their faces. Turn away if you must from the shamefulness of it all. The shamefulness of the poor and oppressed wanting more. Wanting to survive by working only one job rather than two or three. Wanting to avoid being arrested and imprisoned for crimes that rich people, white people, would get a slap on the wrist for. Turn away as they cry out for help, for compassion, for fair treatment. Avert your eyes.

Do not let our shared delusion evaporate, for if that happens we might have to face the fact that we live within an unsustainable, unfair, unbalanced social structure. Don’t look to closely at the edges of that shared delusion or it might begin to fail and we might have to admit that white supremacy is at the root of our imagined democratic society. Don’t gaze too long at the illusion of equality, the illusion of opportunity to live, to be free and to pursue our dreams equally; for if we look at it too long we might have to stop fooling ourselves and begin the hard work of seeing each other as human beings in community with one another. To see each other as human beings who each deserve the respect that being human requires and human beings who all deserve a living wage and decent affordable healthcare and housing.

People, step right up and see all of these things and more. Only, keep your eyes closed or averted– it might be uncomfortable to see, and we wouldn’t want to be uncomfortable, now, would we?

Mystics of the Universe

Over the past three weeks I have been co-leading a discussion group with my friend Brian about Christian mystics and spiritual practice. Each week we discuss a Christian mystic, have a scripture reading and time of meditation, and pray. The first three weeks we have learned about ancient mystics through the anonymous work The Cloud of Unknowing, and by looking at the work of Anchoress Julian of Norwich (14th) century and the art of Hildegard of Bingen (11th century.) we have had some really interesting discussions and I look forward to the rest of our meetings!

The Cloud of Uknowing is a fairly short book written by an anonymous author in the middle ages. The ”cloud” refers to the separation betweens humans and God, the seeming impossibility to connect fully with God while we are living human beings. We should reach toward God as best we can through prayer and contemplation, the author says, and at the same time we should keep a ”cloud of forgetting” between ourselves and the temptations of the material world so that we are not distracted from our purpose— to love and worship God. By no means is the contemplative life to be an inactive life, however; along with prayer and contemplation of God we are to be active participants in acts of charity in our communities. Only in this way may humans be ”oned“ with God.

Our second mystic, Julian of Norwich, lived in the 14th century in England. An educated young woman, she prayed to be stricken with an illness during her life— an illness that would be like death— in order that she might share in the knowledge of what Christ suffered. She also prayed to receive a vision of Christ on the cross, as if she were at the foot of the cross with Mary, Mother of Jesus, in order that she might bear witness to Christ’s suffering as Mary did. Julian did indeed receive both the vision and the illness; she appeared so close to death that she was given last rights, but she survived. The visions she experienced went beyond seeing Christ on the cross to bring her to a deep understanding of God, Christ and Spirit. Julian’s manuscript of her visions is called Showings; there is a short version that was her initial recording of the visions, as well as a longer version (that she worked on for the rest of her life) that goes into much more detail about the visions. Julian became an anchoress of the church at Norwich, England, at about 30 years of age; she was sealed into her chamber at the side of the church and given last rites again as she was considered ”dead to the world.” She lived the rest of her life in this chamber; she had a spy hole through which she could watch mass, and a window through which she could talk to people from the community, to whom she would often offer spiritual instruction or direction.

Hildegarde of Bingen lived in the area we now know as Germany, in the Rhine Valley. She was born at the end of the 11th century and lived well into the 12th century. Hildegard began having visions when she was 3 years old and as an adult was encouraged to write them down, which she did. Some versions of her life story tell that as the 10 child of the family she was ”tithed” to the church; however it happened she did join religious service and lived in Benedictine communities for most of her life.

Besides her writings, Hildegard created illustrations of her visions; she also wrote plays and poetry as well as music. Her illustrations portray the deep mystical connection she had with the Divine and work to help interpret her theology. She offered visions of God, of Divine Love, of the Trinity, and other spiritual symbols; but perhaps her most intriguing were her visions regarding creation and the ”greening” of the world. She was concerned about the relationship between humans and the created world and believed that humans were to be caretakers rather than dominators of creation.

It is fascinating to take a peek into the thinking of these mystics, and to explore contemplative practice. We will resume meeting on July 11 to take a look at Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, Meister Eckhart, and Richard Rohr.

Creation’s Beauty

The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it-—you have founded them. -Psalm 89:11 

It is no secret that I think that East Tennessee is the prettiest part of the world.  Even in the wintertime, with the brown grass and bare trees, the rolling hills and the mountains in the distance make for an especially beautiful setting.  Spring and summer bring a million shades of green that shine even on the dreariest of days; and fall is extra special, yellows and reds and orange dressing  the trees and flowers. Of course, there is beauty to be found in other parts of the world:  deserts, rain forests, beaches, prairies, steppes all have their own particular beauty.  And just imagine:  if the earth is this beautiful, what is heaven going to be like? 

God created this wonderful world for us to inhabit, and left us humans in charge of its care.  But it still belongs to God.  And I believe that it was God’s intention that we are to use the gifts of the earth to keep ourselves alive—but I also believe that God intended us to keep it in good working order, so that countless generations of human beings could use it as well.  We are to be good stewards of the gifts that God has given us in the creation of the earth, caring for it and keeping it safe for future generations of God’s people.  Granted this is a complex issue, with human needs on one side needing to be balanced with the need to protect the earth on the other.  But the thing is, if we don’t pay attention to the needs of the earth, there will come a time when the earth is no longer able to meet human needs.  

I invite you to prayerfully consider how you might work to protect the earth’s environment.  It is a gift to all of us from God; let us cherish it and treat it as the great work that it is.   

Gracious and loving God, please accept my thanks to you for this wonderful world you have created for us to live in.  Help us to show our environment the same compassion and mercy that you show us.  Amen.   

COVID Reminder

Dear Friends,

I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season and are starting the new year on a good note!

As we begin the new year, and a continuing COVID and flu season, I want to remind everyone of some ways that we can keep ourselves safe and healthy, both at church and out and about.

As much as we’d like to think the worst of COVID is over, we have seen that variants are going to keep coming. Delta and Omicron are threats especially for the unvaccinated– including children; and it’s hard to say how potent newer ones will be. Similarly, the flu wasn’t as widespread last winter because of masking and staying home; however, as we have stopped those practices we are likely to have a rough flu and cold season. I offer the following information as a reminder to all of us as we travel through this season:

1. If you aren’t vaccinated for the flu or COVID, please get vaccinated. While a vaccination might not keep you from getting one of the illnesses, it will keep you from becoming as sick as you would with no protection. It is especially important, if you are immune compromised or have health risks, to protect yourself and the people around you in this way.
2. Wash your hands and/ or use hand sanitizer regularly.
3. If you are feeling sick, stay home–especially if you have a fever. Common practice is to wait at least 24 hours after your fever subsides to return to school, work, and other activities.
4. If you must go out while you’re feeling bad or have a fever, I strongly encourage you to wear a mask. I know it’s uncomfortable, but we’ve seen that it at least somewhat limits the spread of disease.

Session has made no changes to our church policy regarding masks at this point—they are optional for vaccinated people, though encouraged if you feel ill or want to protect yourself. However, good health and hygiene practices are always important to follow!

Here’s to a safe and healthy 2022!

Peace,

Rev. Sharon

Earth Day at the Labyrinth

Walking the labyrinth Earth Day 2020

Dry Bones

What are you doing to cope?

As we move into week 5 of Lent and week 3 (?) of the ‘Rona, I want to ask: how are you all doing? How are you coping and what are you doing to cope with the staying at home, the isolation (especially if you’re single and living alone?) Send me a comment- I’d love to hear from you.

I’ve been coping in several ways: taking walks (I’ve walked about 6 miles already this week!) I haven’t been to the woods because it’s been pretty muddy but I might go later today. I’ve been listening to the Avett Brothers pretty much on repeat all day (and the classical music station here, WGUC) Music brings me much joy and combining it with my daily walk or painting session is my zen.

I’ve been painting. Right now I’m working on a series for my bathroom. Here’s the first one I’ve finished. Not a great photo, but you get the idea…

I’m lucky that I have someone to shelter in place with. I’m lucky that I have access to technology that lets me connect with people, from colleagues that I chat with every week to my kids who are in Charleston, SC and Knoxville, TN to my siblings and parents in Tennessee and North Carolina.

Even though I am blessed in those ways, and more, I will be very happy when I am able to see everyone in person again.

Many of us might be asking, why is this happening? These kinds of times are often when we question God, question God’s existence even. Why would a good God, a God who loves us, a God who is “in charge” let this kind of thing happen to us? Some of us might want to call it a punishment for some way we’re living or that we’ve turned from God.

I tend to be of the “sometimes stuff just happens” camp. In this scenario God isn’t an angry God, but a loving God who is with us in our suffering. We see this in the way Jesus suffered in his life and death. The good news is that Jesus Christ came through death to live again– in a transformed body, no doubt– but he did return to life. That’s the essence of our faith, right? That God is with us in our suffering, God can sympathize with our suffering because God suffered through the person of Jesus, even endured torture and death, and came through it.

Yes, the Reformed Theological Tradition says that we are all sinners. The Reformed Theological Tradition also says that God loves us and offers grace to us regardless of what we’ve done. So we can let go of the idea that this is some kind of punishment and embrace the idea that God is right there with us, suffering with people who have the virus, suffering with those who have lost loved ones, with people who are out of work and whose lives have been changed forever by this time of uncertainty and isolation.

Get out in nature if you can! It’s a great antidote for many things.

God also offers us ways of coping– prayer, social media (God created the minds that created social media!) nature, which is still open for us to be in as long as we maintain our distance from others. We are being changed by this, in ways we can’t even imagine right now, and that isn’t a bad thing. That’s another thing God brings us, the ability to change and adapt and move into new ways of being. We don’t like it, we seem to be hardwired to our routines and we like things the way they’ve always been but if we listen to God’s call to us, if we watch for the new things that God is doing, we can be comforted by that. Knowing that God has a way for us and is walking alongside us is and will be what saves us– from coronavirus, from sin whatever we need to be saved from.

COVID-19 Week 2

Last week I wrote a pretty optimistic post about the coronavirus situation, which has now reached pandemic status. Bars, restaurants, gyms, churches are closed and people are advised to stay at home as much as possible; if you have to go out you are advised to maintain a 6 foot distance between you and the people around you.

This is hard, folks. Even for me, an introvert, I have a hard time imagining what an extended quarantine would look like for me and the hubs. We are used to our routine– going out for breakfast, going to bible study and to the gym. The hubs was supposed to travel in April and have knee surgery in June or July and was supposed to be in rehearsal for a community theater show, but all of those things are cancelled or at least put on hold for the foreseeable future. I, as a pastor, am navigating whether or not we meet for worship– yes, we’re a small congregation of about 30 in worship, but I don’t want to put any of my (mainly older) congregation at risk. And how do I, and my colleagues, do in person ministry when we can’t visit people in person?It is new territory for all of us.

I give kudos to the governors of Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio to make the decision to ask everyone to stay home for awhile. I would not want to have to make those decisions. But I feel for parents who now have children at home or needing childcare, and for restaurant and bar workers (and others) who can’t work from home and make such a small wage– something around $2-3 per hour without tips– that any unemployment benefits they might receive will be a pittance. I feel for parents of kids, and the kids themselves who get their main meals at school.

There are a lot of people suffering right now, and right now when people need comfort and hugs it is much harder to make those connections. It would be really easy for some of us to slide into a routine that doesn’t involve leaving our houses. So those of us who like to stay home, we need to make an extra effort to reach out to the people we know. Hearing the human voice is going to be what gets us through this, so phone calls are the best (and I have discovered in the last 24 hours that zoom is wonderful); however, cards are good too and sometimes it’s nice to get that surprise of something pretty in the mail.

Child talking on the telephone — Image by © H. Armstrong Roberts/CORBIS

For me (and the hubs, as we have talked about this) another hard part is the uncertainty of it all. We human beings love our routines and we like knowing what to expect more than we like uncertainty. We don’t know how long this homebound thing will last, how long schools will be closed, how long restaurants and bars and gyms and other places of business will be closed. It is unsettling at best.

So I encourage you, as we go forward, to stay connected, any way you can. To go for a walk in your neighborhood (maintaining the 6 foot distance from others). To pick up the phone and call your family, your friends, your neighbors. To sign up to zoom or skype or another of the video chat services that are available. I was in a Bible study with other pastors on zoom this morning and it was so great to see them and for us to share our experiences (and yes, do some prep for Sunday.) For me, it is a way to stay out of my own head where things are pretty scary already and can only get worse if I let them.

If anyone needs someone to talk to you can reach me at revscarter1400@gmail.com or on facebook direct message at Sharon Davy Carter. DM me if you need a phone call. I am here and would love to hear from anyone who is reading!

Peace to all of you, and prayers to you as well.

Rev. Sharon Community of Faith Presbyterian Church

COVID-19 Week 2

Last week I wrote a pretty optimistic post about the coronavirus situation, which has now reached pandemic status. Bars, restaurants, gyms, churches are closed and people are advised to stay at home as much as possible; if you have to go out you are advised to maintain a 6 foot distance between you and the people around you.

This is hard, folks. Even for me, an introvert, I have a hard time imagining what an extended quarantine would look like for me and the hubs. We are used to our routine– going out for breakfast, going to bible study and to the gym. The hubs was supposed to travel in April and have knee surgery in June or July and was supposed to be in rehearsal for a community theater show, but all of those things are cancelled or at least put on hold for the foreseeable future. I, as a pastor, am navigating whether or not we meet for worship– yes, we’re a small congregation of about 30 in worship, but I don’t want to put any of my (mainly older) congregation at risk. And how do I, and my colleagues, do in person ministry when we can’t visit people in person?It is new territory for all of us.

I give kudos to the governors of Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio to make the decision to ask everyone to stay home for awhile. I would not want to have to make those decisions. But I feel for parents who now have children at home or needing childcare, and for restaurant and bar workers (and others) who can’t work from home and make such a small wage– something around $2-3 per hour without tips– that any unemployment benefits they might receive will be a pittance. I feel for parents of kids, and the kids themselves who get their main meals at school.

There are a lot of people suffering right now, and right now when people need comfort and hugs it is much harder to make those connections. It would be really easy for some of us to slide into a routine that doesn’t involve leaving our houses. So those of us who like to stay home, we need to make an extra effort to reach out to the people we know. Hearing the human voice is going to be what gets us through this, so phone calls are the best (and I have discovered in the last 24 hours that zoom is wonderful); however, cards are good too and sometimes it’s nice to get that surprise of something pretty in the mail.

Child talking on the telephone — Image by © H. Armstrong Roberts/CORBIS

For me (and the hubs, as we have talked about this) another hard part is the uncertainty of it all. We human beings love our routines and we like knowing what to expect more than we like uncertainty. We don’t know how long this homebound thing will last, how long schools will be closed, how long restaurants and bars and gyms and other places of business will be closed. It is unsettling at best.

So I encourage you, as we go forward, to stay connected, any way you can. To go for a walk in your neighborhood (maintaining the 6 foot distance from others). To pick up the phone and call your family, your friends, your neighbors. To sign up to zoom or skype or another of the video chat services that are available. I was in a Bible study with other pastors on zoom this morning and it was so great to see them and for us to share our experiences (and yes, do some prep for Sunday.) For me, it is a way to stay out of my own head where things are pretty scary already and can only get worse if I let them.

If anyone needs someone to talk to you can reach me at revscarter1400@gmail.com or on facebook direct message at Sharon Davy Carter. DM me if you need a phone call. I am here and would love to hear from anyone who is reading!

Peace to all of you, and prayers to you as well.

Rev. Sharon Community of Faith Presbyterian Church