Safe at Home

Dear Congregation,

As you know, we Floridians are now under the governor’s “Safe at Home” order, made in response to the coronavirus pandemic we’re experiencing. Being mindful of this current reality, worship this Palm Sunday, and into the foreseeable future, will be live-streamed on our Facebook page from my apartment in Bay Harbor Islands. As I informed you previously, I have my new tripod ready to hold my i-Phone, and am ready to go!  I will certainly miss musicians Jay Harrigan and Graham Byran being live with me, and so appreciate the music they shared in our last two worship services.

When you join me on Sunday, you’ll notice in the background the large quilt that hangs on the wall at one end of my living room. The colorful blue, green, purple, yellow, black and white quilt was presented to me as a going-away, thank-you gift from Point Place UCC, Toledo, OH, the first church I served as an Interim Minister. Each of the twelve sections contains a symbol that pertains to my ministry there. I was even given a pamphlet that tells what each symbol means, the Bible verse that informs it, and how it relates to my time with the church. It is lovely and I’m glad to share it with you.

The thought came to me that at this hard time, when the familiar pattern of our life feels as if it has been torn into many pieces, we might each think of our life as a quilt. Each piece of fabric symbolizing an event, a relationship, a change, a time of challenge, and/or growth. The pieces are stitched together over time, each quilt unique. On my quilt the stitching itself has meaning. Superimposed on the quilt, outlined in white thread, is the pattern of hands—praying hands, giving hands, blessing hands.  As Christians, we might be reminded that God’s hand is on our life, and our own hands have the power of bestowing much blessing. We are not alone, and there is still the work of sharing God’s love for us to do.

I hope you’ll be with me Palm Sunday at 10:30 a.m., joining together with CCC friends, dispersed, but one in spirit to worship God in Jesus Christ, hearts joined, in the beautiful quilt of the church.

In Christ’s love,

Pastor Candy