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A year ago this week, everything changed. We left worship on Sunday, March 15, 2020 not knowing when we'd be able to gather again. As the weeks stretched into months, we adapted and adjusted - online worship, weekly mailings, outdoor visits, curbside communion, take-home bags for Christmas and Lent. We adapted and adjusted, and yet I don't think any of us imagined that we'd still be apart a year later.
Trauma anniversaries are hard, whether the trauma is the death of someone close to you, a natural disaster, a violent event, or something else. Sometimes, your body remembers before you do that an anniversary is approaching. You may notice yourself feeling sad or irritable or anxious and wonder why.
The added layer of grief and difficulty in the anniversary we're approaching this week is that we're still not on the other side of things. We've barely had a chance to really reflect and process and grieve the original trauma, let alone marking the anniversary. We are still not able to gather together in worship or share meals together. School and work and family gatherings are still disrupted, and it's been far too long since we've been able to hug the people we love, or even see their whole faces.
Even as we grieve, there are so many reasons to also be hopeful. Warmer weather and sunshine are on the way; more and more folks are receiving vaccines; the CDC has announced that vaccinated folks may gather, unmasked and indoors, with one other household (even if that household is unvaccinated, but low risk).
As we mark a year of pandemic life, we cling tightly to God's promises - that we are loved, that we are never alone, and that not even death can separate us from God's love. Perhaps you may find it meaningful to take a moment this week to pause, light a candle, and reflect as you pray this prayer from Pastor Traci Smith:
A Prayer Marking One Year of Pandemic Life, for All Ages
By Traci Smith
God you are with us all the time. All the time you are with us.
Today we remember. We remember how things used to be. We remember how many things we have gone through. We remember things we missed and people we lost.
Today we hope. We hope for healing. We hope for vaccines. We hope for wisdom.
Today we share. We share smiles with one another. We share our joys and our sorrows. We share or dreams for the future.
God you are with us, all the time. All the time, you are with us. Be with us as we remember, hope, and share. Amen.
. . .
Be gentle with yourself this week. This year has been traumatic in so many ways, and our delayed and unprocessed grief will continue to reveal itself, sometimes in strange ways. Take time to rest, breathe, and feel. You are loved!
With hope,
Pastor Kerri
Bonus resources:
- Printable coloring pages with prayers for marking a year of COVID-19.
- Daylight saving begins this Sunday - remember to "spring ahead" one hour. (But don't worry - if you miss worship you can always find the recording on Trinity's Facebook page!)
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As you're reading through this email, be sure to click all the words that appear underlined in blue font - these are hyperlinks, which open bonus content!
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Join us online, via Zoom or Facebook Live, or on the phone for worship on Sunday at 9am. Recordings of previous worship services are available on our Facebook page (no sign-in required).
Computer/Tablet/Smartphone - Click this link or open the Zoom app and enter Meeting ID 838 5330 2328 and password 15425.
Phone - Dial 301-715-8592. When prompted, dial in the Meeting ID: 838 5330 2328 and password: 15425.
If you would like to receive a paper copy of the liturgy and/or weekly email, please contact the office or Pastor Kerri.
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Join Pastor Kerri and four colleagues for a Lenten Vespers service centered on the Beatitudes. These pre-recorded services will be available each Wednesday afternoon on Trinity's Facebook page and YouTube channel, or you can watch or listen via Zoom at 6pm.
Computer/Tablet/Smartphone - Click this link or open the Zoom app and enter Meeting ID 815 7400 7199 and password 15425.
Phone - Dial 301-715-8592. When prompted, dial in the Meeting ID: 815 7400 7199 and password: 15425. |
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The next Curbside Communion will be held this Sunday, March 14, from 10-11am, and again on Wednesday, March 17 from 11am-1pm. Please drive down South St. and pull into the driveway at the rear of the church. Pastor Kerri will pass individually packaged bread and wine (or wafer/grape juice) through your car window, accompanied by a brief communion liturgy.
If you would like to gather outside with others for the communion liturgy on Sunday, you may meet at the rear of the church building at 10am. Please wear your mask and practice distancing. If you are unable to participate but wish to receive communion, please contact Pastor Kerri for communion to be brought to you at home.
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Promise us - weekly discussion questions
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Each week this email will include devotions for group discussion that look ahead to the coming Sunday's Hebrew Bible reading. Use them for discussion around the dinner table, individual reflection, or whatever helps you dwell with the text and God's promises found there!
If you were to point to one period in your life as “the good old days,” when would that be?
The Israelites believe that the poisonous serpents begin plaguing them because they complained, but the text does not say this outright. As people of faith, how do we know whether or when God is behind things that happen in our lives?
Read more in the full devotions for the fourth week of Lent: "Fiery Serpents", from Barn Geese Worship.
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2020 Year-End Financial Report
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The 2020 Year-End Financial Report is available here. Questions may be directed to Treasurer Rod Gunderson or Financial Secretary Cindy Workman.
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Easter Sunday is Sunday, April 4. At 9am, we will be worshipping as usual on Zoom and Facebook Live.
At 10:30am, we will gather for worship at Cameron Court (the basketball court across Carnegie Ave. from Trinity), weather permitting. Music will be provided by John Ivey. Please bring your own chairs, wear a mask, and practice distancing.
To help with our preparations, please use the form below or contact Pastor Kerri to indicate how many from your family are planning to attend in person.
Should weather prevent us from gathering for worship at 10:30, Curbside Communion will be offered instead.
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The following Easter flowers are available: tulips in red, yellow, pink, purple, and white; hyacinths in light purple and white; mums in purple, yellow, and white; lilies in white. They are $13 each and will come in a 6" pot. They will be used to decorate the worship space on Easter Sunday, and may be picked up after the services.
Orders are due by Thursday, March 18, 2021. Payment may be sent to the church; be sure to mark your check with "Easter flowers" in the memo line.
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Fayette County centralized vaccine registry: Go here to register online, or call 724-466-4142.
Wal-Mart: Vaccines given at Connellsville Senior Center. Call 1-800-753-8827 to register.
UPMC: Find more info and sign up here, or call 844-876-2822 between 7am and 7pm daily.
If you don't have a computer and need help to register, please contact Pastor Kerri.
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The Fayette County EMA is looking for volunteers for vaccine sites across the county. The help needed is all support: directing folks through the stations, check-ins, monitoring the cool down area where folks sit after the vaccination, etc. The Chamber of Commerce is handling the coordination of the volunteers. Contact them directly at 724-437-4571 and ask for Kathy, who will share available days/times and answer questions you may have about volunteering.
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In Our Prayers
To add a name to the prayer list, contact Pastor Kerri or the office.
Amy, the family & friends of Jeff Brooks, Callie Cunningham, Janice Haggerty, Mary Jordan, Nancy Kress, the family & friends of Paul Lancaster, Phyllis Mandello, Kathy Richter-Harris, Ron, Nadia Schmidt, Paul Schmidtke, Patty Schroyer, Amy Schwarz, Nathan Sirianni, Sandy Thornton, Donna Welsh
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Thursday, March 11
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Genesis 9:8-17
Ephesians 1:3-6
Friday, March 12
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Daniel 12:5-13
Ephesians 1:7-14
Saturday, March 13
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Numbers 20:22-29
John 3:1-13
Sunday, March 14 - Lent 4
Numbers 21:4-9
Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Ephesians 2:1-10
John 3:14-21
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Monday, March 15
Psalm 107:1-16
Exodus 15:22-27
Hebrews 3:1-6
Tuesday, March 16
Psalm 107:1-16
Numbers 20:1-13
1 Corinthians 10:6-13
Wednesday, March 17
Psalm 107:1-16
Isaiah 60:15-22
John 8:12-20
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To reach Pastor Kerri, call or text 724-603-5589, or email her at rev.kerri.clark@gmail.com
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