Pastoral Letter #12

For a small amount of perspective at this moment, imagine you were born in 1900. On your 14th birthday, World War I starts, and ends on your 18th birthday. 22 million people perish in that war. Later in the year, a Spanish Flu epidemic hits the planet and runs until your 20th birthday. 50 million people die from it in those two years. Yes, 50 million. On your 29th birthday, the Great Depression begins. Unemployment hits 25%, the World GDP drops 27%. That runs until you are 33. The country nearly collapses along with the world economy. When you turn 39, World War II starts. You are not even over the hill yet. Moreover, do not try to catch your breath. Between your 39th and 45th birthday, 75 million people perish in the war. At 50, the Korean War starts. 5 million perish. At 55, the Vietnam War begins and does not end for 20 years. 4 million people perish in that conflict. On your 62nd birthday, you have the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold War. Life on our planet, as we know it, should have ended. Great leaders prevented that from happening. When you turned 75, the Vietnam War finally ends. Think of everyone on the planet born in 1900. How do you survive all of that? When you were a kid in 1985 and did not think your 85-year-old grandparent understood how hard school was. And how mean that kid in your class was. Yet they survived through everything listed above. Perspective is an amazing art. Refined as time goes on, and enlightening like you would not believe. Let us try and keep things in perspective. Let us be smart, help each other out.

David and Jenny Cooper have been elbow deep in making their famous preserves and jams.

Lynette has “finished spring cleaning the garage - first time since Gordon died!! And found some Turtle Wax so has now debugged, washed, dried and polished the cab of my campervan. And did the windows inside and out. Also found some old deck paint so painted my front steps. All ready now for visitors when we are allowed them again :-)”

From Frances and Foster: Walks at night with our cat Buddy, holding hands, finding the darkest parts of Irish Town and Karaka Road, looking at the stars. For where the night is blackest the stars shine brightest. Talking and remembering together the word of the Lord coming to Abram in a vision. Genesis 15: 5 "He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Abram thinking, "Does God keep his promises? The Bible records, "Abram believed God." (vs 6). Foster and I looking at those same stars, looking backwards through history and remembering that God does keep his promises. And trying not to trip over Buddy in the dark.

It looks likely that mid week next week we may go to Level 2 so we are gearing up for what that would look like at 305. You have heard of drive through takeaways, we are planning a walk through breakfast pickup at 305, with only 5 clients in at a time to make sure our distancing is right, and spaced chairs for those who need to sit. Plastic cups and plates and urging people to take them with them outside to dine al fresco. We will be open Monday to Thursday 9am to midday.

Foodbank is continuing but we are not getting a lot of need yet because of Civil Defence giving out parcels, but as they wind down, we are expecting an increase of requests for support. There is expected to be a jump in foodbank requests too, when the wage subsidy finishes and businesses open and lay off staff.

Until we know definitely the rules that will be around Level 2, we have not yet discussed when gathered church will restart. The plans we had before we escalated quickly to levels 3 and 4 may be applicable but we need to check it first.

It is interesting that people outside the congregation are watching the sermons on our website and it may mean that they might physically join us when we reopen. That would be nice. We have viewers across the world – England, South Africa and Coromandel township.

I know I don’t need to remind you of this, but please keep to the rules concerning Level 3 until we are told otherwise. Someone made the comment that no one during the Blitz decided that lights out was for others was fine but that it did not apply to them and they could put their lights on. The analogy reminds us that it only takes a few irresponsible people to jeopardise us all.

Keep safe people. This will not be forever. If you need to talk to someone outside your bubble, pick up your church telephone directory and choose a friend to ring. You both will be blessed by the phone call.

Blessings

Chris