Friday, March 13, 2020
Dearest Friends,
I had an image yesterday that made me shudder. The image wasn’t leper-like colonies of persons who had contracted COVID-19. It wasn’t an image of octogenarians, nonagenarians, or the very young, toddlers, and babes who had succumbed to the disease called Corona. It wasn’t an image of masked and gloved masses bounding down the street like the living dead. The image that made me shudder was empty sanctuaries, houses of worship, chapels and churches: Easter Sunday was cancelled! There were no lilies with the trumpet blossoms blazing. There were no bonnets tasteful or gaudy blocking my view. There were no fabulous Sunday best outfits. No gleaming faces. No sunrise services. No jubilant crowd singing Easter hymns. No Hallelujah chorus. No organ blowing our hair back. No brass instruments jubilantly playing. No Easter bells pealing. There was nothing. Empty pews. Lights out. No one was there to hear the report that the stone had been rolled away. No description of Mary; Mary, and the others going to the tomb. No disciples running to see for themselves an empty grave. No wide eyes and beating hearts. No nuthin’ in 2020! That image made my spirit shudder!!!
So, the question is: are we willing to not let Easter not happen??
If the answer is “we must not let that happen” then moving backward in the holy narrative toward Easter: are we willing to let the drama and mystery of the Passion go unmarked? To have no travail of trying to pray with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane? To not image the last supper that Jesus marked with his friends! Will we remember to imagine and even somehow smell the lavish anointing of Jesus by a very audacious woman, who poured very precious fragrant oil on him despite the audible critique of Jesus’ betrayers? If we don’t meet in community, are we willing to shout Hosanna (at least in our spirits) like children, and wave palm branches while imagining Jesus riding a humble beast down that Jerusalem road?
Are we still willing on our own to study, reflect and go deeper by joining Jesus in spirit as he cavorts with lepers, and heals the otherwise infirmed. Let us witness him straighten the bent over woman, welcome children into his arms, and provide good news to those who their whole lives been shunned, overlooked, demon tortured, or otherwise discouraged.
Let us say, we will!
A little over 2 weeks ago we marked the beginning of Lent with ashes – on our foreheads, on our hands, or our hearts, noting that we will return one day to ash—to the earth. We don’t know what day that will be, but until then and in the meantime we have some faithful living to do! We have hearts to encourage, and the Gospel to live out to the fullest extent possible. That is our obligation and our call. To not give ourselves over to the fear of connecting with God, even in the company of others, and to gather our strength, instead of scattering in defeat.
This message has not been evaluated by the FDA, the WHO, CDC, or the City and State of New York.
Yes, we do need to be circumspect, to be cautious, to exercise common sense and apply recommended practices being distributed from many sources. Here is a link that describes many great ways of taking care of oneself, as we wade through this season that has been declared a global pandemic. ABHMS offers-guidance-litany-prayer-for-congregational-response-to-covid-19.
Faithful friends, let us not give up on all that gives us strength. I believe without a doubt that God will meet us in our holy spaces. God always does. We may not in this season actually hold hands, hugs, exchange holy kisses with others, yet to smile warmly, nod knowingly and wave from a safer distance. We cannot handle items unnecessarily, or eat and drink together as usual after worship in a coffee time of the after-service church buffet. We will need to be careful to carry tissues, hankies and cough drops to keep unexpected irritants at bay. We will at times need to stay home instead of venturing out.
We will also need to honor God with energy and reverence with intentional times of worship and study in private, as individuals or families if your congregation suspends its Sunday or midweek services. We will also need to continue to pray for, especially if not meeting together face-to-face, our church family and friends, and particularly ministers and pastors, who seek to lead in making good decisions about the welfare of the church, and serve God well in and out of season.
We will also need to continue to financially support our churches. We would hate to see any church face financial ruin because of the pandemic. Write a check and put it in envelope and then in the mail, or donate online during the holy time of giving as an act of stewardship and hope. Then we will look for and walk toward the Son Rise in celebration in a few weeks, and recognize that graces emerged somehow, despite the hysteria and hopelessness that seems to is oozing everywhere right now.
In not cancelling our active spiritual practices during this Lenten season toward the Resurrection, we will find ourselves, despite it all, in the places where God meets us.
May God's grace keep us strong,
The Rev. Dr. Cheryl F. Dudley
Regional Executive Minister
American Baptist Churches of Metropolitan New York