Good day friends,
1. I want to start with a shoutout to Chester’s First Selectwoman, Lauren Gister, who has been doing a wonderful job of sharing the latest information about the current health pandemic. Whether it is today’s gubernatorial proclamation (and they seem to be coming on a daily basis) to our town’s coronavirus patient count to links to uplifting music, games or articles of interest, I find the email blasts from town hall helpful and encouraging in a time we all could use both. In fact, one recent item I’d like to encourage you to visit is the How We Feel app, available for both Apple and Android phones. It is an opportunity to check in every day with regard to your own health, and the information it collects (anonymously, and you choose what and how much of your own information to share) helps the health care community better understand where possible pockets of infection may be emerging, as well as track the progress of the virus (or its waning) across communities. If you’d like to know more about it, you may find more at https://howwefeel.org/.
2. Just yesterday some of us were having a conversation about how soon we might be regathering as a church, and as if from our lips to God’s ears, in practically the very same moment I received this from the UCC’s Southern New England Conference:
https://www.sneucc.org/newsdetail/conference-ministers-ask-churches-to-suspend-public-worship-through-may-13626636
So it looks like the earliest we will be opening up for in-person worship is June, but even that may prove a moving target.
3. Have you noticed the hearts in the church windows? Since so many folks are finding ways of thanking our health care professionals and first responders, we wanted them to know we appreciate them as well!
4. It was wonderful to see some of you at last week’s virtual Coffice Hours. I’m going to do it again next Friday at 9:00am, and will send out the Zoom link a day or two beforehand.
5. I know I speak for all of you when I say I have loved, loved, the music Karli has provided on Sunday mornings. Good thing I had a couple extra moments to compose myself after her rendition of “Over the Rainbow” last week… This Sunday we’re going to consider the 50th anniversary of Earth Day (hence the New Yorker comic which accompanies this note). You can find the bulletin for Sunday below, and do please remember to send along your Joys and Concerns before worship begins.
Blessings all, and “see” you Sunday.
Alan