Covid 19 – Invitation to Be Together

But safely apart at home,

If you have one.

19:00 hours: One Minute to Be Silent, Then One Minute to Be Connected –
Separate yet Together

Covid-19 has separated us physically from one another, or rather
we have separated ourselves in order to protect ourselves from SARS-Cov2.

But we need not be socially or spiritually separated from one another.

Take a minute at 19:00 hours (7 pm) to say a prayer or keep silence or remember others.

None of us are in this alone. Most all of us can reach out to others. Do what you can, for yourselves and for others. Be careful, respectful, and courageously hopeful.

Take a minute at 19:01 hours (7:01 pm) to say, by making noise, creative and loud noise (so that others know), you are there and well.

If you are in a car, honk!

If you are at home, set up music to play loudly!

Or set off your smoke alarm (test button only, not smoke- be smart!)

Or have the children join you in loud singing their favourite song, or hooping and hollering!

Be creative, coordinate your noise making with neighbours, so that there’s cooperation in the music or noise.

Then at 19:15 listen in quiet, unless …

At 19:15 if you need help now it’s your turn to make some noise.

If you need help urgently, if it is an emergency, make the three long noises, three short noises, and finally three more short noises for the Morse code for SOS.

Listen, and respond, with care to keep from passing contagions between people, households, or neighbours.

Consider that every day we are inundated with Covid-19 news, most of it alarming. To keep this in perspective, perhaps limit one’s news gathering/listening to the news to shorter periods at most 2 to 3 times each day.

And

Take a minute at 07:00 hours, or the beginning of your day, as at 19:00 hours, to say a prayer or keep silence or remember others.

Colour the beginning of each of your days with Courage, with Compassion, with Creativity, and with Hope.

Know that you are not alone as you do this.

Invite others to keep these minutes as well.

Let our paths virtually cross.

Facing Covid 19: Daily Words of Grace – Apr 3

Friday, April 3, 2020

Fruit or Frost

Fruit or Frost

Psalms 89:16

They exult in your name all day long, and extol your righteousness.

Ephesians 5:8-9

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light, for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.

Words of Grace For Today

If you have ever lived or visited where fresh citrus fruit can be harvested from a tree in the backyard you know what is like to pick a fresh orange or mango off the tree and sit to peel it, juice flowing unavoidably freely over your hands and chin as the goodness quenches your thirst before breakfast. Our grocery store fruit, picked still green to survive shipping to us, is better than none, but simply does not compare. We know what darkness is. It is unavoidably part of everyone’s life. Since Christ claims us and makes us into saints, we also know how marvellous Christ’s light is. Like tree-fresh-picked fruit it flows unavoidably freely over us, and over all of life. We are Holy-Spirit-equipped to share the fresh fruit of Christ’s light with everyone. Be bold (and health safe) as you share the light of Christ with someone caught in darkness.

Facing Covid 19: Daily Words of Grace – Apr 2

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Seeing Salvation … Daily

Seeing Salvation … Daily

Psalms 71:17

O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

Luke 2:28-30

Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation.

Words of Grace For Today

When we live a long life, we know how life is: there are times of full colour, loud celebration, and overwhelming exuberance; there are also times of deadening greys, stifled sobs, and oppressive despair; and there are times of everything in between. As the Holy Spirit leads us, we continue to proclaim God’s great deeds in our lives, in lives around us, and in the lives of saints before us. Simeon, knowing his days were coming to an end, rejoiced that he was able to imagine and know, hear and see, touch and be touched by the infant Jesus, the Saviour of all ages. Whether we are close to our end … or expecting years and decades more of this wondrous life, filled with God’s marvellous deeds, we too can lift our voices in thanks for all God is, and all God has given us to experience in our days on earth. What a marvellous gift we have … to share with others!

Facing Covid 19: Daily Words of Grace – Apr 1

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Small Steps to Healing: Listening

Small Steps to Healing: Listening

Isaiah 65:19

I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress.

John 16:22

So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

Words of Grace For Today

Where does it hurt? This question has been asked for eons of children and adults alike when they are injured. The point is to find out what is damaged, what the damage is, and how it can be addressed. Today we ask it of each other in a different way. We ask one another to pause, to breathe … slowly and deeply. Then reflecting on your own past few days, where does it hurt? We ask this of each other, and then we listen attentively, graciously. For we know the joy that Christ gives us is never taken away from us. It has the power to help our bodies, minds, and souls heal. First though we listen, where and how does it hurt, so that we can be the salve of blessed oil that Christ has poured over us for those who are hurting, so that our cries and weeping in distress may find their end in Christ’s love and joy for us.

Facing Covid 19: Daily Words of Grace – Mar 31

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Far Off or Fully Present?

Far Off or Fully Present?

Zechariah 6:15

Those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the Lord; and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.

Ephesians 2:22

In Christ you also are built together spiritually, into a dwelling-place for God.

Words of Grace For Today

In these days we can easily experience that many of our loved ones are ‘far off’, even if they are only a few kilometres distant, we may not be able to visit with them. Now we cannot offer to give them a ride to church on Sunday or to the Lenten soup supper and services. One of the gifts given to us in our baptisms is that we are all members of One Body. This is a physical reality. It is also a spiritual oneness that Christ gives to us. No matter how ‘far off’ we may be these days, Christ calls us to be together, physically distant, but socially and spiritually as near as the heart beat in our chests, the dreams in our minds, and the hope that gives us the future completeness of Christ’s 2nd coming already today.

Facing Covid 19: Daily Words of Grace – Mar 30

Monday, March 30, 2020

Alone or Always Someone Taller Beside Us

Jeremiah 8:4

You shall say to them, Thus says the Lord: When people fall, do they not get up again? If they go astray, do they not turn back?

John 6:37

Jesus says: Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away.

Words of Grace For Today

It is so easy to stumble and fall. To lose our way. To end up really alone. Father Brown (a BBC series) says often, “I am not alone. God is always with me.” Jesus has claimed us and there is nothing that can take us away from him. We may often feel alone. We may desperately need another person’s presence, their voice, their listening heart, to remind us that God is always with us. Reach out. Be the person Christ claimed you to be. Be the reminder of God’s presence for someone needing to hear once again, the old, old story of Jesus and his love.

Facing Covid 19: Daily Words of Grace – Mar 29

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Consolation in the Dark

Consolation in the Dark

Psalms 142:4

Look on my right hand and see there is no one who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for me.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.

Words of Grace For Today

This wisdom is now frequently shared since more and more of us will be effected by isolation: God created us to be in connection with other people. Different people at different times need more contact. Isolation does have a negative impact on our physical health, making us sick in and of itself. We may well cry out: no refuge remains for us! Doch. God consoles us in all our afflictions, also those we face today. Reach out to console others with this gentle, gracious, and caring consolation that we have already received from God.

Facing Covid 19: Daily Words of Grace

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Crises Define Us

Psalms 147:11

The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Mark 3:35

Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.

Words of Grace For Today

Everywhere one hears that we are facing a new and unprecedented crisis. It is new for most of us, though, as humans, we have in history faced many similar crises and challenges. Our faith prepares us for everything that happens on earth. What happens to us determines only 10% of who we are. 90% of who we are is determined by what we do. We are well equipped to do the will of God; we are God-made saints, though still sinners. Because our hope is based on God’s love for all creation, we can reach out to others isolated, alone, and afraid, by every means still available to us. We can be the people of God, claimed by Christ, and equipped by the Holy Spirit. Bringing Light to others with a simple telephone call can make all the difference for them, and for us.

End of Many Concerns

.

Ahh, Great Light, Great Night to Come, Easy Walk.

Nice Day on the Ice

End of

A good day fishing

Fishing season

Drinking on the lake

.

Lots of Tracks

Lots of Tracks

SarsCov2 in that fishing hut

Risk management with a wood stove

Warm days at the lake

‘Burning your playhouse down’

.

Looking for the Light

Looking for the Light

Sharing one’s feelings 

Hauling, Cutting, Hauling, Splitting, Hauling, Smoke, Ash

Hot Times on the Ice

.

The Butt End of it All

The Butt End of it All

.

..

….

Start of:

Living alone

Fishing in the cold air

More bad luck

.

Catching the Last Rays of the Day

Catching the Last Rays of the Day

Looking for SarsCov2 elsewhere

Being able to stand up straight without hitting ones head

.

It’s All She Wrote

Karma – (But, Karma, this was not on the list! Karma, what you doing!)

.

That’s it! Schluss! Fire’s Gone Cold.

That’s it! Schluß! Fire’s Gone Cold.

Stupid Deadly Things I’ve Heard Today

Interspersed with Truth and Beauty

You probably should be able to tell the difference!

Golden Grass

If there is all white almost everywhere, the exceptions, like a bundle of golden grass, will stand out, in the light, as beautiful.

If it’s just white,

It just snowed really heavily.

If it’s all just grass, this bundle is not that interesting, most likely.

If one has just gold, well that’s another problem I’ve never had,

money problems.

It’s just like a cold. I don’t see what all the fuss is about.

Right, for some people Covid 19 is just like a cold and does no more damage than a cold.

It’s just like the flu. I’m not worried.

Well, you should take flu more seriously. It’s fatality percentage is less than 1.0%, but it is still deadly for some people.

And it mutates every year, so it can become more deadly in a year or less.

If there is no light, than nothing is seen as it really is. Everything becomes so much the same that it’s just dull, and then who would be interested?

It’s all a bunch of nothing. It’s just a kind of flu.

Yes, it is a kind of flu, a different kind of flu. Not in it’s make up, but in it’s ability to kill it has perhaps the same or greater fatality percentage as the Spanish flu. The Spanish flu hit a small community in northern Canada and of the 80 people there 72 died within a short time.

The Spanish flu killed in a few hours.

Covid 19 is estimated to have a fatality rate similar to the Spanish Flu.

The Spanish flu killed 50 to 100 million people.

So why worry if Covid19 and it’s mutations kill that many people every year or more – since the percentages of infected and the percentage of dead are the same, the population is much larger therefore proportionately many more people will die, or if this virus is not reduced by the passing of seasons (dies off due to the heat of summer) then it may be a great number more?

It may be in a short time that way too many people will die to allow life to continue as we know it!

Because it will not take long for there to be no one to grow, distribute and sell the food you have become dependent on, or the products, or … well, anything.

Making Tracks in the Simplest Part of the Day: Beautiful Light

When the light shines, then you can see the beauty of a simple day.

And when you take time to figure out the truth, then you can act appropriately,

so you do not expose dozens of people to your infection, killing a handful of them.

That’s the big deal.

Cold Lake has supposedly 4 cases of Covid 19 as of today.

Schools are closed until at least September, Libraries are closed.

Makes sense with a military base and lots of wealthy people traveling the world, and coming home

to share their experiences.