Online Worship Service May 10, 2020
Psalm 31
Ecclesiastes 3:1-18
Preacher: Virginia East
I wonder which month has 28 days… All of them do! Type your answers into the chat box. At this point in time, time has become an interesting conundrum. For some people they may be living the movie “Groundhog Day.” Others might be cherishing the unique opportunity to build new family relationships, while some may just be trying to put one foot in front of the other.
Living in these uncertain times has caused a realization for me that as a person who likes to have things planned and organized, I can only plan a maximum of 1 day at a time. I have also been very aware that sometimes God’s Time and my time might not align and at this point it is better to just allow God to control the time I am presented with.
It turns out that the Book of Ecclesiastes is a book of Wisdom like Proverbs. Our scripture this morning had us looking at this very element of time in verse 1, for everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven. Last week during Learning Together you might remember that Rev. Ingrid remined us that Jesus also taught us to share, our time, our talents, and our treasures. In our 50-day journey from Easter to Pentecost we are remined of how we are encouraged to be Jesus’ disciples and live out Easter messages of love, compassion, and peace in new and creative ways. If we were together in person, I might ask you to turn to your neighbour and discuss ways that you are being Easter people. So maybe today, if you choose to participate in our virtual coffee hour this might be something to talk with others about.
In these pandemic times the words of Ecclesiates 3 sort of brings a sense of acknowledgement that we don’t have full control of time and at this point what we might really need to do is “Stop and smell the Roses” These times are outside our control and are actually incredibly special times. They are times to turn to God, to share with others in new and unique ways. In fact, I have heard a few people talking refer pandemic normality as to “this season” rather than time. Maybe that is an idea worthy of consideration at this point.
In this new season, be reminded that it is unique, and God is always caring for us as we cry, laugh, feel sluggish, and all the other emotions we are processing in this season. This message is echoed in today’s Psalm 31 where we are reminded that we can take refuge in the Lord and the Lord is our rock, verses 14 and 15 further say “But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “ You are my God” My times are in your hands; The song “Like a Rock echoes the messages of Psalm 31. For many this song is rather special because it is sung during Learning Together times, Fort Fellowship, summer camps, Children’s Retreats and even at Pacific Mountain Regional Conference events.
Like a rock, like a rock, God is under our feet.
Like the starry night sky God is over our head.
Like the sun on the Horizon God is ever before.
Like the river runs to ocean, our home is in God evermore.
As part of this Easter season take this opportunity to be intentional in everything you do and know that if you are struggling you can reach out to the Lord for support and comfort. Take time to pray as you plant gardens, observe changes in a plant each day, connect with people who you think about but never have time to connect with. Teach relatives how to Zoom or Face Time. If you are missing your friends write them a letter or create a virtual time capsule together. These are beautiful opportunities and a special ways to create positive pandemic memories. Be reminded that life is full of changes and as the French proverb said, “The more things change, the more things stay the same.” Let us spend this season reflecting on embracing what is and just allowing God to guide us. Listen to God’s comforting words and enjoy these atypical times. There are many items we can be grateful for in this season, like the arrival of spring, being able to hear the songs of the birds, having spontaneous dance parties whether you are alone or grooving with family. I urge you to take comfort in the words of Ecclesiastes and Psalms.
Know we are not alone and we live in God’s world and that despite the fact God’s time and our time might not always align in this season know that you can find strength in the love of God by being creative disciples of Jesus and going out into the world; by practicing physically distancing but not being socially distant. What are you going to do with this season in the next week? Know that everything God does will endure forever, and this is a gift. Let us pray: Dear Lord, in this week coming up help us to turn to you when we miss our friends, family, or are struggling: Help us to channel and share the messages you teach us in creative ways as you have taught us that our time and your time might not be the same, but we CAN come together in safe ways to be your light in our communities at this time. Amen