Brothers and sisters in Christ,
Greetings in the name of our Lord.
The Bethel Church Council met on Monday, March 16th, and after much deliberation made the difficult choice to suspend all church activities until the end of March. This includes Wednesday night Lenten activities, confirmation class on March 22nd and gathering on Sunday morning for worship service. We are working on ideas for worshiping online and will have something ready to post by Sunday morning. Please stay connected to the website and/or the Facebook page for more information.
Although some may feel this is an overreaction as, of this writing, no known cases have been reported in our counties, the Council felt it was important to abide by the recommendations of the CDC, the Minnesota Department of Health, and the federal government. Right now, one of the ways we love our neighbors is to protect them from possible transmission of this virus. Especially those who are over 65 or who have medical conditions which make them more vulnerable. And the truth is, a person may be infected and either not know or have symptoms so slight they aren’t noticed and still be able to transmit the virus to others. This is especially true of the younger generations.
While we may need to distance ourselves physically, don’t distance yourselves from compassion and kindness. Remember those who may be truly isolated during these days and give them a call. Check in with your older or more vulnerable neighbors and do what you can safely do. Does someone need groceries or medicine? Can you help? Is there someone who needs to work but now could use some help with child care? There are many ways we can love our neighbors during this time.
And above all else, remember that God is not maintaining social distancing from you. Indeed, the love of God is as near to you as your breath. And the Spirit of God, given in your baptisms, strengthens you. And Jesus, the Son of God, is with you always.
"Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort me and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger." ~~St. Patrick
In Christ,
Pastor Munter
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7