Pastor’s Note | May 27, 2020

Jesus said, “This is my commandment: That you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

In normal times, personal contact is the typical way we express our Christian care and love for one another as the body of Christ. As a routine part of our ministry, a pastor would visit an individual, in person, in order to listen and offer encouragement when a church member would face a crisis. We’d hold hands and offer up a prayer to comfort someone. We’d offer the sacrament of Holy Communion to one who would need to receive Christ’s strength in a difficult circumstance.

But for now, these forms of personal contact are something that can’t be risked, for everyone’s safety. This could seem to be a discouraging time – filled with barriers preventing us from caring for one another as the body of Christ.

Fortunately, the Holy Spirit is far more creative than any barriers a pandemic can throw at us! Letter writing and phone calls – those ‘old fashioned’ ways of being together – they work wonders! Here’s a snapshot of how we’re loving one another at Good Shepherd. This is what it looks like to extend love — especially to those who might need it the most in our church family during these times:

• Our Good Shepherd Home Communion servers, are instead, phoning our home-bound members twice a month to visit with them. That’s 35 people receiving 2 phone calls a month by fellow church members.
• We pastors are calling people who are hospitalized or dealing with serious illness by phone, offering prayers and blessings interspersed with conversation. We average 35 calls a month.
• Our prayer chain is more active than its ever been! Do you have a prayer request? Send a prayer through to Vicky Ruff (vickyruff@charter.net), and over 50 people will pray regularly for you! We had 27 new prayer requests in the month of March alone.
• Our Stephen Ministers are meeting one on one with those who are hurting through Facetime, phone calls and emails. If you are facing a life challenge right now, a Stephen Minister might be a good support. To reach out for this spiritual support by contacting me or Marilyn Sharrow at msharrow@tds.net.
• I’m making phone calls to church members, starting with our oldest ones. Do you know that I’ve personally called 31 people in the last weeks, ages 87-100? Our elders are as much of an inspiration to me as I might be to them. What joy!
• As weeks have unfolded, more and more of our church staff are writing notes of encouragement and care to those in our church family who have expressed a need. Our card ministry team has been making some additional cards for that purpose.

This is a small snapshot of how we’re loving one another in this different time. This is the body of Christ doing what Jesus has called us to do. Keep connecting to one another Good Shepherd – the Holy Spirit is stirring among us in ever more creative ways!