March 19, 2020, Ruminations
Dear Friends,
            If you are staying home more than usual because of concerns over Covid-19, here are a few things you might enjoy reading.

1. If you are interested in exploring ancient sacred religious texts to a number of religions, you will enjoy (www.bl.uk/sacred-texts/)  The link brings you to the British Library, and to almost 300 texts.  You will discover articles about Hinduism, Buddhism, the Sikh faith, and the Abrahamic religious traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
2. If you like a good book, then of course read the Bible.  I know it can be daunting to think about it, but it can be done.  Overall, there are 1,189 chapters in the Bible; 929 in the Old Testament, and 260 in the New Testament.  Reading 40 chapters a day, you will finish it in 30 days.  Reading 15 chapters a day, you will finish it in just over 79 days.  Reading 12 chapters a day, you will finish it in barely over 99 days.  I have found that 10 chapters a day is manageable for me.  At that pace, I finished reading the Bible in four months.  Just in time to start again!
3. Other good books include:
   1. The Last Week: A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus’s Final Week in Jerusalem, by Marcus Borg & John Dominic Crossan.
   2. Faith and Feminism: Ecumenical Essays, edited by B. Diane Lipsett and Phyllis Trible.
   3. Adam, Eve, and the Serpent, by Elaine Pagels.
   4. Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road?, by Brian D. McLaren.
   5. Good Girls, Bad Girls; The Enduring Lessons of TWELVE WOMEN of the Old Testament, by T. J. Wray.
   6. Treatise on Thermodynamics, by Max Planck.
   7. The Case for God, by Karen Armstrong.
   8. Edvard Grieg, Little Great Man: The unorthodox life of Norway’s greatest composer, by Brendan Ward.
   9. All About Weeds, by Edwin Rollin Spencer [this book has scores of illustrations]
   10. In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction, by Gabor Maté, MD.

 
            If you have ideas you would like to share in this space, please let me know.  We are in this adventure together.
                                   
                                                                                    Blessings,
 
                                                                                                Jim
 

​Seven times in the gospels Jesus says,“Do not worry.”
(Matthew 6.25, 31, 34; 10.19; Mark 13.11; Luke 12.11, 22).  

Paul wrote, “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4.6).  All Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version.

     With Covid-19 in the news, we certainly “live in interesting times,” as someone once said.  Grocery stores are packed.  Supplies are flying off the shelves.  Sports leagues have canceled their seasons.  Universities have sent their students home.  People who can work from home are doing so in greater numbers. 

     The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov), National Institutes of Health (nih.gov), World Health Organization (who.int), and state governments (mass.gov) are keeping their websites up-to-date with Coronavirus (COVID-19) information.  Cities and towns are making decisions based on what they know about COVID-19.  Religious institutions are taking the new virus seriously, too.

     During the last several days, the leadership of our church, the First United Baptist Church in Lowell, has been absorbing information about the virus and making decisions day-by-day as new information becomes available.  In light of what we learned, we decided yesterday to cancel today’s worship service.  Worship is very important for all of us.  So is getting together afterward to catch up with each other.

     We do not know what new information will surface each week.  Therefore, we do not know if we will need to cancel upcoming worship services.  If we do, we will be sure to let you know.  This week, in lieu of being together in worship, we can make use of other means of communicating with each other.  Fortunately, there are many ways to communicate when we cannot be together in person: telephone (landline, cell, Apple’s Facetime, Facebook’s Portal, Google Duo), Facebook, Instagram, email, text, and of course, letters, cards, and postcards.  Using the means available to us, we can keep in touch one way or another.

     During these uncertain days, music can help.  Especially the music of prayer.  A popular praise song has these words in its lyrics, “Our God is an awesome God.”  With that song in my head as if it is part of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, I am reminded of another playlist, the Psalms.  During times of plenty and of want, people have turned to the Psalms for comfort and insight.  Reading them as prayer songs, and singing them to your own melodies, can bring great joy.  I invite you to try it.

     As your pastor, I assure you that our leadership will remain on top of the news and continue to make decisions together regarding our church’s gatherings.  We will communicate that information to you via email as well as via WCVB TV and WHDH TV.  If you do not have email, and would like us to call you, please let us know.  You can call or text me directly or leave a message with the church office.  Closing information also is available online at wcvb.com (Channel 5) and whdh.com (Channel 7).  (See below for specifics.)

     By the grace of God, our faith community is very strong.  The love of God we share is more than enough for all of us to get through our COVID-19 concerns together.  I am praying for each of you by name, and invite you to do the same.

     My Ruminations are sent out via email on Thursdays.  If you would like to receive them, please call the church office (978-452-9281).

     Remember, “Be of good courage” (1 Chronicles 22.13, 28.20, and 2 Chronicles 32.7).
 
                                                                        Blessings,
                                                                         Jim

On wcvb.com, you will find it under the Menu item “Closings.”  After clicking on “Closings,” enter “First United Baptist - Lowell” in the “Search” bar under “Closings & Delays.”
 On whdh.com, you will find it under “Closings-School Closings”.  Under “School Closings” scroll down through the sub-headings “Public Schools” and “Private Schools,” to the sub-heading “Religious Education,” where you will find the houses of worship listed alphabetically.

Posted March 15, 2020