April/May 2021 NewsletterWe are now in Eastertide, a season of great joy for the church. Indeed, we have much to be joyful about. Many of us have had at least one vaccine and some of us are fully vaccinated. We can do more things we enjoy without risk to our health. We can see our families and our friends. We can come back to in-person church, at least on a rotating basis.
Many are looking for things to get back to “normal.” I urge us, however, to intentionally create a new normal rather than just mindlessly doing everything the way we did before. While many parts of our lives pre-COVID were Christ-filled, other elements could use some changes. As horrible and frustrating as COVID was and is, we’ve learned some ways of relating to each other that I hope we’ll keep as we move forward. The first is to continue to think in terms of “we” rather than “me.” During the pandemic, we’ve worn masks, quarantined after travel, and avoided visiting relatives at higher risk because we care about other people. The virus hasn’t just been about us, but about all of us. Loving others is a crucial tenet of the Christian faith. I hope we’ll continue to be willing to make sacrifices ourselves for the health of others as we return. The second is creativity. We’ve learned to do some AMAZING things during COVID that we probably never thought we’d do. That includes Zoom worship, a funeral where the preacher was in another state, curbside pickup fish fry, a thrift store with a limited workforce and hours, and a community peacebuilding campaign called Love Rising. Perhaps God is calling our community to continue to be creative in worship and how we interact in the community. The third is caring for each other. During the pandemic, the vestry called folks to see how they were doing. Many of you reached out to other parishioners to help them learn how to navigate Zoom. We all let each other know when we heard of a place that had vaccine dosages available. We’re a great St. Andrew’s family, and I know we’ll continue to find ways to be sure we all are OK as we move forward post-pandemic. Randi+ |
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~ St. Andrew's seeks to share the unconditional love of God ~
Virtual & In-Person Sunday Service: 10:45 am
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Wilson-Burt & West Creek Roads, Burt, New York 14028
Our Vision: Sharing God's Love
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins...
Virtual & In-Person Sunday Service: 10:45 am
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Wilson-Burt & West Creek Roads, Burt, New York 14028
Our Vision: Sharing God's Love
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins...
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updated 5.09.2021
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