Letter from Rev. Rachel: 4/7/2020

Last week I reached out to remind us who we are as a church, as a faith community in the time of social distancing. Since that time, further restrictions have been put in place. Schools are definitely not going back before the end of the year. Ask any parent, this isn’t some fun extended summer vacation. In Los Angeles, the County Department of Public Health has asked us to please avoid grocery shopping or going on errands this week to keep the numbers low as a surge is expected. In California, we have all been asked to wear a mask or some covering if we go outside (and a huge thank you to all of you sewing the masks out there).

Even if we have enough food, a mask to wear, a roof over our heads, doesn’t mean that we haven’t all experienced some moments... OK, maybe even days of the great Biblical expression of grief and sadness: LAMENT. We find lament most often in the Psalms:

Rise up, and help us,
and save us, for the sake of your steadfast love. Ps 44:21

Job does a good job of lament also:

For my sighing comes like my bread,
and my groanings are poured out like water.
Truly the thing that I fear comes upon me,
and what I dread befalls me.
I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
I have no rest; but trouble comes. Job 3:24-26

Jesus’ last words on the cross were also lament:

My God, my God why have you forsaken me. Mt 27:46

These past few weeks we have lamented that we don’t have control over our lives, that we cannot see friends, go surfing, walk with our buddies. High school and college seniors (elementary and middle school kids too) are missing out on their special trips and that looooong awaited walk across a stage to receive a diploma. Lives are on hold. Jobs have been lost or furloughed. The economic market is uncertain.

No one ever thought in seminary we would have to plan a Holy Week and Easter for people in their homes, from our very own home. I cannot imagine our chapel not having people to pray through the night on Thursday. I cannot imagine Good Friday without the veneration of the cross. I cannot imagine Easter morning without our brass, the congregation full and singing “Jesus Christ is Risen Today.” Preparing for Holy Week has been one long lament in my book.

From the very start of social distancing there has been oodles and oodles of advice given. Learn something. Don’t learn anything. Take care of yourself. Take care of your family. Structure your life (or your kid's life). Don’t structure anything, just survive! My one and only piece of advice is to stay strong in your faith in whatever manner you can. Prayer. Calling people. Being mad at God. LAMENTING that today isn’t the life we asked for, and out of our control. Know that God is walking with us, even in our lament for time, events, people and celebrations lost.

God is walking with us through Maundy Thursday where we will wash hands this week, not feet. God is walking with us to the very base of the cross as we witness crucifixion once again. God will be with us on Easter, even if we don’t feel all the joy we normally do. God is with us as we proclaim resurrection, Jesus’ victory of life over death. God is with us.

And the day will come -- as we are people who believe in resurrection -- when we will again gather with friends and family, with our fellow parishioners, and with strangers, then... then we will put lament away for a time and we will sing out a song of joy.

Yours in Christ,
Rev. Rachel+