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Living in a New Normal

As the Covid 19 restrictions loosen a bit and we are able to get out and about as long as we follow safe guidelines and boundaries, it seems what I hear the most from people around me is, “When will we get back to being normal?” I have been thinking about this quite a bit myself while I realize all that was once normal may actually never be the same again. It is wonderful to have people back in the sanctuary for worship, but we do have to wear our masks and keep our distance from one another. Many of our once regular functions are still on hold as we can’t gather closely or for any extended length of time.

During a recent visit with a KU physician this same discussion came up. My doctor shared that the elevators are nearly empty now and she does not want to ride on them either. Many staff and patients have begun to use the stairways in the building. While good for one’s physical conditioning this has also crowded the stairways more creating a potential breeding ground for virus and bacteria to grow and be shared with others now using the stairs. My doctor also advised that if you do use a public stairway be very cautious of the handrail and what may be growing there. Who would have thought of any of this being a result of a virus that functions and infects us in unknown ways?

Will the church ever go back to the way it was? The answer is a simple yes and no. Yes, the sanctuary is and will be open to worship in as long as we follow safe methods of being together. We have also added the capability of streaming our worship service on Facebook making us much more available to those unable to be present with us in person. Because of our Facebook presence we now have to be careful to not show the faces or say names of our young people present to protect their safety in a world where there are people looking for opportunity to cause harm to the vulnerable. I could go on and on with the dynamics of our new reality, but we all know that our normal really has changed and become something new.

What about God and our Savior Jesus Christ? Has anything about the divine changed to keep up with what is happening in our world? Actually, no nothing about God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit has changed at all. Our understanding of who God is may have been opened to new possibilities. Hear these words from Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” The divine then has not necessarily experienced all of this before, but in every situation and time and place is the same. This is the normal we can hold on to. The same hope and faith our ancestors had remains for us and the generations to come. Trust God and know that this new normal will be ok because our Lord and Savior will always be the same and will always be with us.

In Ministry Together,
Pastor Craig

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9:00 a.m. Adult Sunday School
10:00 a.m. Fellowship
10:30 a.m. Worship Service 

Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday
9:00am - 12:30pm

Pastor Craig is in the office throughout the day. To speak with Pastor Craig, call 913-631-6689 & please PRESS Ext. 11 or email him at pastor@shawneepres.org. To contact the office call 913-631-6689 or email at office@shawneepres.org
*If you have a Pastoral emergency, call Pastor Craig at 918-346-0839.

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