Dear Church Family,

The United Church of Christ has a page on their website with useful information and links for updates on the coronavirus.  You can find it by clicking here.

The first piece of advice from the UCC is don’t panic, and yet it is completely natural to feel our anxiety rising.  Recently in our Heartfulness Contemplative Training Circle we were talking about how hard it is to follow the ethic of the Golden Rule and love of neighbor and compassion for all when we are afraid—for instance, afraid of getting infected or afraid of scarcity of supplies or afraid of economic or societal collapse, all kinds of scenarios that can become obsessive and panicky thoughts.

Times like these call upon us to rise to our Christ-like ideal, and to do that we need both the support of a loving community and all the wisdom and spiritual tools and practices of the ages.  In other words, we need exactly what the church is designed to offer.  We will find it in the words and music and company for the journey at church this Sunday, as well as in the Heartfulness Circle on Thursdays.

Thank you for coming to church for others, and thank you for coming to find the support and wisdom you need for yourself.  We each have to put on our own oxygen masks first in order to help others!

Thank you!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Tom Kinder