First UMC Olympia
Churches in the Pacific Northwest, such as First United Methodist of Olympia, Washington, are taking strong measures in response to the spread of the coronavirus. (Photo courtesy First United Methodist Church of Olympia, Washington.)
With Sunday worship and church meetings cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve turned my column from tracking the UMC’s potential schism and attendant efforts to #ResistHarm and include LGBTQ+ persons to what’s happening around coronavirus.
Foundry UMC shuts down
Here’s a notice from Foundry UMC, one of the denomination’s most socially active congregations in Washington, D.C.
“After much prayer and discernment, and from a deep sense of responsible compassion for our most vulnerable neighbors, Foundry will remain closed to the general public.
“We will continue with one online worship service at 11:15 a.m., through May 10.
“Effective immediately, Wednesday Lenten Evensong will be online at 6:15 p.m.
“All Holy Week and Easter events will be hosted online.
“Please continue to check our website for updates.”
I commend Foundry's leaders for their decision, even as I share their pain at social distancing.
Prayer in the time of COVID-19
The National Council of Churches has issued an invitation for people to contribute their reflections and prayer requests during this time of isolation and social distancing. Submissions should be no more than 300 words and a scripture passage may be included. Remember, the NCC holds the copyright to the New Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible, so you'll make their editing easier if you use that translation for your scripture. Submit your prayer and/or reflection to United Methodist layman and NCC executive Jim Winkler, jim.winkler@nationalcouncilofchurches.us
Coping with the feelings
Dr. Jelena Kecmanovic, a founding director of the Arlington/DC Behavior Therapy Institute and an adjunct professor of psychology at Georgetown University, wrote a March 18 column for the Washington Post on coping with the psychological effects of social distancing and self-quarantine. Her advice is sound, but I think there’s a spiritual depth to these suggestions as well. The tips in boldface are hers; the added text is mine.
Accept negative emotions. Every psychologist worth his or her consultation fee tells us not to bottle up emotions, but expressing them can be difficult for many. I think the best way to let out those big, scary bad feelings is to aim them at God. Here’s where we can take a lesson from our elder siblings in faith, the Jews, who have never been reluctant to contend with God. Don’t be afraid to vent your anger, frustration and fear at God; God is big enough to take it.
Create new routines. For example, my husband and I now go out on our newly covered patio to drink our morning coffee and tea and watch trains go by. How about developing a daily devotional habit if you don’t have one now? A vast universe of books, magazines and online sources can aid you in spending more time with God. Pick one that appeals to you; God will be there.
Reinvent self-care. Since our hospital-related fitness center is closed, meaning I can’t get to my regular water aerobics classes, I’ve done more yoga-style stretches and strengthening exercises based in aikido, a martial art focused on building peace. If need be, get a video from a local store (help the local economy!) and exercise along with it. Try walking outside – keep your distance from the neighbors – or hold video chats with friends. Spray calming lavender scent in the bedroom or take a lavender-scented bath. As you do so, remember that God originally planted humans in a garden.
Reflect, relate and reframe. It’s already Lent, the Christian season of reflection, repentance and prayer. Use coronavirus “downtime” to increase your prayer times. Write in a journal, engage in artistic pursuits, or take up that hobby you’ve been meaning to try. Have more heart-to-heart conversations with friends and loved ones. We can’t do big mission trips and church functions now, so substitute Mother Teresa’s counsel: Do small things with great love.
Now for some suggestions that are totally mine:
Practice loving your neighbor by keeping your distance. CNN’s medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, shocked his audience March 17 by angrily denouncing San Francisco residents who took to outside pursuits despite that city’s announced lockdown. “How I behave affects your health. How you behave affects my health,” Dr. Gupta said during a televised segment on San Francisco. “Never, I think, have we been so dependent on each other, at least not in my lifetime, and we should rise to that occasion." So smile and wave from afar.
Practice loving your neighbor by offering financial assistance to those in need. The economic pinch of being out of work, especially workers in hospitality, service, and travel-related businesses, grows daily. If you have the financial resources, offer to transfer money electronically to those who can demonstrate need, as the Washington Post’s column The Lily reported. Check out online financial posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and other platforms. Your gift, however small, could keep a person or a family housed and fed over the next few weeks.
And don’t forget the students in your midst. According to the Duke Chronicle, newspaper for UMC-related Duke University: “Students formed the Duke Mutual Aid Facebook group, which aims to provide help in the form of food, housing and transportation for members of the Duke community affected by the University’s decision to close campus. Students have also created a Google Drive folder with a frequently asked questions document, a form for offering assistance, a form for receiving assistance and other resources through Mutual Aid.” No doubt other enterprising students and/or colleges have done the same and could use your help.
A word for these times
Finally, here’s some wisdom from a young source, Robby Phillips, a first-year student Duke’s Trinity College, in a column for the Duke Chronicle:
“Our lives won’t be the same after this. Once it is all said and done — and it will be one day soon — we can attempt to rebuild our lives and this world exactly as they were before. Or, we can live differently. We can learn from the ways selfishness exacerbated this crisis and continues to do so as we seek solutions. More importantly, we can learn from the love others have shown, the sacrifices others have made, the struggles we are all going through together. Perhaps this will teach us how badly we truly need one another, both during this crisis and once it is over. Perhaps all of us sharing the exact same threat is truly what makes this feel so surreal. We are so used to fighting each other, after all. And perhaps this can be the start of us all feeling a bit more connected, even as we stay distant.”
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.