Thoughts from Mitch-COVID Update

I was excited and happy to hear about Johnson and Johnson's new vaccine. With three vaccines in play, getting people vaccinated will speed up exponentially. With that speed up and with numbers dropping, service schedules and times will be subject to change. Please pay attention to weekly emails as we are seeking to do more in-person services. The Tuesday noon services have been a success. Thank you to all who have attended. It is a blessing to be able to pray with you all.

One of my favorite Lenten stories from scripture is the story of Noah. In it, of course, Noah builds a boat, and preps for a flood. After much work, prayer, ridicule from his neighbors, sleepless nights, and general craziness, the ark is built. The floods come and Noah floats away to safety. Noah and his family were on the ark for more than a year. I can imagine that when the time came close for them to disembark, they must have been pretty anxious to get off. Yet they would have to wait a little bit longer. Stay disciplined a little bit longer; stay on board just a little bit longer. I can imagine that we at this stage with COVID feel a little bit like Noah did when he sent the dove out to find land. "I'm ready to go back to normal" he must have thought. "I'm ready to get off of this boat" must have been a feeling the whole family had. I can imagine that patiently waiting at the end of the journey must have been mentally hard.

We are in that place now. Cases are going down. More people are being vaccinated. We are finally getting some really good COVID news, but we are not getting off of the boat just yet. As in-person/in-door services start to resume, please know physical distancing, the wearing of masks, and COVID-19 protocols will continue to be followed. We ask for the safety of all, that you follow them.

In Christ,
Mitch+