My Dear Doubters of Great Faith,
In the world of 6th century BCE, I can only imagine that Judeans captive in Babylon must surely have felt that all was lost. For everything that they saw, and felt, and touched, and tasted, everything that their senses recorded, screamed “Gone!” Forever. Hope was extinguished.
And yet, we know that the story of Yahweh’s love affair with humanity is anything but over. It is simply one moment in Chronos, human time, a moment that God employs the prophet Ezekiel to beckon the people through.
“Prophesy to these dry bones, and you shall live!”
We know, in our logical, thinking minds that that is the case. God is always with us; therefore hope always exists. It is easy, however, in the midst of anxiety to lose sight of hope, and to succumb to fear. And that is what Ezekiel and so many others prophesy against!
“I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live,” says the Lord.
I’ve had many (MANY) pastoral calls with folks over the last few weeks; anxiety around COVID-19, and our current situation, is at the top of most everyone’s list. Everyone is concerned about how it will affect them and those they love. Everyone is feeling the loss of separation from their church, their community, and now, from individual human contact. Everyone has heightened anxiety, fear, and worry. It seems like COVID-19 has forced us to give up so much of what we hold so dear!
It seems so isolating. It must have seemed so to the Judeans as well. And it is that sense of isolation that we simply must continue to press, “prophesy,” as it were, against!
Throughout this week’s “The Doubter,” you will find just such ways to prophesy against this sense of isolation.
First of all, we are going to try something completely different for this Sunday’s worship/meditation time together. Rather than my “do” worship for you, we are going to try a Zoom Church worship experience in which several people can lead the act of worship. We will have different readers and Mother Virginia Holleman will bring the message for the day.
There will be some opportunity for interaction, and more importantly, you will be able to see each other, from your own locations, and hear other voices besides mine.
If you click on this Zoom Meeting Link on Sunday, March 29th at 10:00 am (and save it for future Church services), it will take you into the service. Watch a brief YouTube tutorial video in case you haven’t used Zoom before.
It may be Holy Chaos, but it will be God’s Holy Chaos!
Secondly, I have said many times that the beauty of a family-sized congregation is that we know our people by face and by name, and we can be in contact with each other. Rector’s Warden Joe DeuPree and Vestry Member Kathy Carson are spearheading the effort to revitalize the “Phone Tree,” which was a system of dividing up the parish to make calls and disseminate information quickly to our members. If you have free time and can make calls, I strongly urge you toward this ministry. It will benefit you as well as the people you call! More information is in the article
Finally, I urge you to consider your generosity to St. Thomas as we work through this most difficult time. Although we are small and lean, our expenses march on in the face of closure, and not having church takes its toll on our finances. If you are current with your 2020 Operating Fund pledge, I am so grateful. If you are not, or could consider an additional gift to help the Church through this time, that would be a tremendous blessing as well. We have a full array of on-line giving possibilities on our website, or you may mail a check to the Church office (6525 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX 75209).
In all of the ways that we can be together, we simply must be together, virtually, electronically, spiritually, during this crisis that has overtaken our world. We must prophesy to the dry bones that exist all around us. Hope is not ever extinguished. Because we are the ones that know that for every single Good Friday there is always an Easter Sunday morning, and my sisters and brother, it will come, and we want to be ready!
Yours faithfully,
Fr. Christopher+
