{"id":253,"date":"2020-05-08T11:11:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-08T16:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ctoriginals.wordpress.com\/?p=253"},"modified":"2020-06-11T18:45:00","modified_gmt":"2020-06-11T18:45:00","slug":"peace-notes-may-8-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peaceumc.com\/staging\/8882\/peace-notes-may-8-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Peace Notes: May 8, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Best News of the Week:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Giant cinnamon rolls raise money, feed \u2018bellies and souls\u2019
https:\/\/apnews.com\/27b9ff00dd7f03daf44fda73f6543c5e<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

News from Peace:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Hitting the wall<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guest Article by<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rev. Susan Nienaber, Big Waters District Superintendent<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Over the past month as I\u2019ve had conversations with clergy, I\u2019ve heard a recurring theme. Pastors described the immediate jumping into action to manage the crisis of the pandemic and find new ways to connect with community and congregational members. It has been so inspiring to see the strength and creativity of these leaders, and I\u2019m so proud to be part of an annual conference where folks so readily step up to help and support each other. But then, inevitably, many pastors had a day where they hit the wall. This is totally understandable. Emotional, physical, and spiritual exhaustion is to be expected.

I always get energized by a challenge, so when the pandemic hit, I too adjusted my life and routines. I quickly found that I was really enjoying being at home. But then, I started to worry that maybe I was enjoying this too much as I remembered those who are ill, those who have lost a loved one, health care workers on the front lines, the homeless, and those who are now unemployed. I realized how incredibly blessed I am and was beginning to experience a lot of survivors\u2019 guilt. I am well aware of my privilege and that my problems are first-world problems.

And then I hit the wall.<\/strong><\/em> I woke up this morning very sad. I couldn\u2019t quite tell what the sadness was all about. It felt global and existential. An hour into my day, I read an Instagram post of the final text message exchange between a child and his\/her\/their mother right before the mother died of the coronavirus. I was shattered by that post. I am highly sensitive to these stories because my mother died of cancer when I was just 13 years old. A huge crater of grief opened up in my soul.

Because I am someone who is \u201cacquainted with grief,\u201d I have learned how to care for myself in these moments. I knew that I had to set aside my work in order to make time to embrace my grief. I just needed to allow myself to feel all of my feelings without judgement, fear, or shame.

I turned to Psalm 42:6-8 (The Message):
\u201cWhen my soul is in the dumps, I rehearse
    everything I know of you,
From Jordan depths to Hermon heights,
    including Mount Mizar.
Chaos calls to chaos,
    to the tune of whitewater rapids.
Your breaking surf, your thundering breakers
    crash and crush me.
Then God promises to love me all day,
    sing songs all through the night!
    My life is God\u2019s prayer.\u201d
I also turned to my very favorite, Psalm 131 (RSV):
\u201cO Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
    my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
    too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a child quieted at its mother\u2019s breast;
    like a child that is quieted is my soul.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
    from this time forth and for evermore.\u201d
(The Message closes with these words: \u201cWait, Israel, for God. Wait with hope. Hope now; hope always!\u201d)

I have no words to describe how the poetry of the Psalms can comfort and heal me or how it has comforted believers for thousands of years in the darkest moments of life. Yet, every time I read the Psalms, I feel the presence of God and of those ancient souls who have gone before me. And, once again this day, my soul was restored, and the crater of grief filled with thankfulness and praise to God.

Related resource:<\/em><\/strong> Rev. Susan Nienaber recommends a new podcast called \u201cChecking In,\u201d hosted by award-winning Harvard Medical School psychologist Susan David. In it, David offers strategies to help us cope with our heightened emotions during the pandemic. The show serves as a support system, toolkit, and understanding voice during a time of great uncertainty.  <\/em>Access podcast<\/em><\/a>


Northeast Youth & Family Services Coordinating Spring Cleaning Help<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Northeast Youth & Family Services about spring cleanup have been trying to connect individual and families who wish to volunteer with people in their program who need people to help with spring cleaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peace had planned on doing a Service Sunday to help with spring cleaning of with home-owners unable to do it themselves coordinated by Northeast Youth and Family Services, whom we have partnered with in the past. However, because of Covid 19 that will not be happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you or your family would like to help someone in need of spring yard work, you can contact Northeast Youth and Family Services at 651-486-3808. If you contact them let them know you are a participant of Peace Community of Faith and if they have households in need of help, follow these basic guidelines and any others they may give you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n