Hello St. Michael’s UCC friends. This is our COVID-19 Coronavirus edition of our Sunday service. You’re joining me in my home while we are separated and quarantined. Rather than giving you a full sermon, I’d like to talk frankly about why we’re not meeting this Sunday, what to expect in the future, and how to be faithful Christians in strange situations like this.
So why aren’t we meeting? Last Monday night Consistory met and we talked about the developing world-wide virus which has been named COVID-19 or The Coronavirus.
Every one of you have had a coronavirus. Myself included. We all had these when we were kids doing things kids do like… sneezing on each other, not washing our hands, and licking grocery store floors… if you’re my daughter. When we were toddlers we had great immune systems that were constantly learning how to fight new things. And we were almost always running a low grade fever, full of snot, and coughing.
Eventually we over came our childhood colds and illnesses. Some of them we conquered with vaccines like for polio, measles, or rubella. I had chickenpox but my daughter won’t. Vaccines help our bodies kill a little of the virus so that when we run into the virus again, our bodies know how to fight it with vigor.
Now we’re not toddlers anymore. We no longer have those amazing toddler immune systems and we definitely don’t bounce back from colds like we once did. COVID-19 is a new coronavirus that none of us have had before. So none of our bodies know how to fight it. Our bodies have to learn. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine to help them learn. So the only cure for COVID-19 is to wait for the sick person’s body to figure out how to kill the virus.
Some bodies are not up to this task. Those over 60, those with underlying conditions, those with compromised immune systems, we’re all people whose bodies might not be up to the task of learning how to fight COVID-19. If and when we catch this virus, we’re going to need medical help to support our bodies while we learn to fight it off. Medical support is available. The problem is that there are more adults in the world, in the USA, even in our community than there are hospital beds.
See, when we were toddlers we’d cuddle up when we didn’t feel good. Maybe we’d miss school. It was okay. The adults around us cared for us.
We’re the adults now. If all the adults get sick at once there won’t be anyone around to cuddle us and keep things running. Someone still needs to restock groceries, answer telephones, bring us medicine, feed us, run the hospital… and we don’t want toddlers doing that. Since we’re all the adults, and all the adults are getting ill, we need to take turns getting ill.
That way, some can keep society going and care for the sick. Then when the sick recover, they can take care of the next round who are sick and keep society going.
If everyone is sick at the same time, there are not enough hospital beds, medications, doctors, and breathing assistance machines for every person.
So the key is to space out the sickness. Then there will be resources for all people.
At Monday’s Consistory meeting we spoke about this and we spoke about the Best Practices that the United Church of Christ was giving out. Things like… doing individual communion instead of intinction. This we already do. We also knew to encourage hand washing and to offer hand sanitizer. If you didn’t know, there’s some by the entryway in the narthex and please use as much as you want.
By Thursday morning things were beginning to look dicey. Cases around the world were spiking. We were beginning to see what is going on in Italy where a triage system is making them choose to use the limited ER space only for those most likely to recover with medical help… and the others being turned away to likely die. We were beginning to hear how contagious the virus is and how very limited testing kits are.
By the time my daughter got out of school Thursday, our Ohio State Governor had issued an order closing all schools for three weeks. He wisely is listening to the advice of our state health department. Since Thursday, there have been more and more restrictions announced and our President has declared a National Emergency.
Should we be worried? Is this real or fake news?
It is highly unlikely that other countries are all collaborating together to make this up. It is also highly unlikely that cruise lines, airplanes, and the stock market would willingly take such a financial hit for a prank. Even Disneyland is closed. This is real news.
No. We should not be worried. You may have seen on the news or with your own eyes the empty shelves at the grocery stores and the people hoarding toilet paper, pasta, and water. *If* you are sick, you will need these things and not be able to go out for them. Yes. But people can bring them to you. *If* you are quarantined because you were exposed, the same is true. It is always a good idea to have a enough food, medicine, animal feed, and supplies for a week or two. Blizzards happen. Floods happen. Sicknesses happen.
Panicking about such will not help us.
Should there be a lack of something, you *are* part of a church family. A community. We help one another. We support each other. You are not alone.
Panicking means we’re fearful. We’re scared. We move to living out of a shortage instead of living out of an abundance.
We are a people of abundance. Abundant welcome. Abundant hospitality. Abundant and lavish love for each other because that is how God loves us.
My lavish love may be the last shirt I have, but I will take it off my back to share it with you when you have none. May be just a casserole. But I’m going to love you with food!
For God loves me more than that much. It’s the least I can do to love you this much.
Over and over and over again Jesus tells us in scripture, “Fear not.” and “Peace, be still.”
Although COVID-19 is real, although it is serious, we do not need to have a spirit of fear and be running around shopping for the last scraps.
Peace. Be Still. For I am with you, says the Lord.
Psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
God will help it when the morning dawns.
The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come, behold the works of the LORD;
see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.”
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
and
2 Timothy 1:7 for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice/fear, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.
This is a Lenten time. Lent is a moment to pull back from the world. To take a breather. To wander the wilderness of our hearts, the physical wilderness outside, the wilderness of our own sins. A 47 day Sabbath of rest.
That is a much longer time than the week we are not meeting. A much longer time than the 14 day quarantine those exposed to COVID-19 are experiencing.
In the wilderness, the unknown, we encounter the Divine. We encounter God active.
And God IS with us in this time. God IS active. God IS working to bring health and healing. God IS in need of our prayers, our activities as the Body of Christ tending to one another, and in need of us to use our Spirit-Given Wisdom.
Sophia, Wisdom, has taught us Science. And Science lets us know how to manage this new virus.
Jesus, our Brother, taught us how to be a child of God. The Children of God are concerned for the most vulnerable in the community.
So, to care for the most vulnerable, we listened to Wisdom and are not having a gathering today.
Will we next week? We don’t know. Day by day this situation is changing. Consistory will speak in the upcoming days and put out word. Right now most of our sister churches, most museums, all schools, most places of gather from concerts to casinos to community centers are staying closed until the first week of April. St. Michael’s will be reevaluating and getting back to you week to week.
So what do we do in the wilderness, Lenten time?
Be the Church.
Martin Luther, our fiery reformer, faced a similar plague in his era. He wrote an extensive letter called “Whether One May Flee From A Deadly Plague”
Within it he writes to his fellow pastors, “I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance inflict and pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me, however, I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely as stated above. See this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God. If you wish to serve Christ and to wait on him, very well, you have your sick neighbor close at hand. Go to him and serve him, and you will surely find Christ in him.”
That means be smart. Don’t gather in large groups. Wash your hands. Take your medicines. Prepare.
But also, visit each other. Call one another. If someone is in need of groceries, and at risk, please email or ring the church. We will be sure groceries are brought to you so you do not have to go out and be exposed.
If you get symptoms of the virus – which are similar to the flu – call your doctor or hospital. Then call me. Family, friends, your pastor – we can and we will visit you, pray with you, and wisely wear protective masks while doing so.
If you’re low on money for bills and utilities, let your church family know. We have our anonymous PIN fund. We have connections with the Good Neighbors of the Village and the Food Pantry. We will help one another.
If you worry this is the end times… peace. Be still.
Matthew 24: 3-8: When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: 8 all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.
And 35-36: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Wars happen. Famines happen. Earthquakes happen. Plagues happen. When Jesus returns only God knows. And we do not need to fret about it.
We need fret nothing at all.
We just need to take each day at a time to be rainbows of hope in an uncertain world.
Each day to be spring flowers after deadly cold winters.
Each day to be Easter people, rising from the crypt, to bring forth goodness where once where was only panic and fear.
Peace. Be still. As God revealed to Julian of Norwich, All is well, all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.
May God bless the space between us until we meet again.
Amen.
Pastor Whitney Bruno Sermons 