“The thought of my affliction and homelessness
is wormwood and gall!
My soul continually thinks of it 
and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning:
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul that seeks him.” –Lamentations 3:19-25

Hey Epiphany!

Happy Hump Day… You made it!

Another day! Another week! Halfway through October! Shout out to all our moms, dads and teachers and students. You really made it. We are almost to the end of the first quarter! As you sit to read this, pandemic shutdowns of varying sorts will have been with us for seven months yet somehow, moment to moment, we are still all pulling it off. I am going to propose that this is no accident. Lately I’ve been thinking about resilience and hope; about what makes us keep on keeping on. Three things continually pop up: faith, gratitude and connection. 

In Lamentations 3 (and man, was there ever a year for the book of Lamentations like 2020?!?!) our fellow sufferer shares his pain: “thought of my affliction and homelessness is wormwood and gall! My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me.” I bet lots of us can relate! If you aren’t feeling afflicted or struggling with homelessness right now, odds are you know someone who is…or you’ve felt afraid at some point this year… or you’ve helped out here at Epiphany and directly impacted someone who was. So much of suffering has become a relatable and stark reality. Yet, just like our fellow sufferer in Lamentations, here at Epiphany we share something more. Here, we are brought together by our faith. We lean into the promise that “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning: great is your faithfulness.” and believe to that “the Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.”Our faith lets us acknowledge what hurts, beg God for help to get through it and then, refocuses us on the ways God is blessing us already. Our faith holds us up in times of trouble and brings us into community with those who share it.

Here at Epiphany, that sense of community, that connectedness, is such a part of who we are and what we do! Who knew a year ago that we could withstand all that 2020 has brought and pull together to still be the amazing church on the corner that offers so much of God’s love to one another and the world? I am in a position to know. I get to hear all about what we are up to when you all join me on Thursday nights for the Stronger Together Online Chat Group. It’s been a precious and wonderful time of fellowship! I love that we can hang out together, share what’s fun, share what’s hard or just share what’s happening. Because it’s that connectedness, that belief that we all have each other to turn to, that also helps keep us resilient in the face of everything. Accepted and loved by each other, accepted and loved by God… loved one and all …no exceptions.

So, when I think about how we are ‘One Together,’ better together,  and stronger together here at Epiphany, I simply think of your faces and the faces of those we bless with all that we offer. And when I think about why I’m pledging money as a part of our annual giving campaign, again I think of your many faces; faces that shine with love, hope, faith and connection. What we offer each other in community and then turn and offer to others in ministry is not small. It is the spark that keeps everything going when days are long and nights are longer. I find myself wanting to put my money where my heart is, where I am nurtured and loved in my faith, so that others can share in the blessings that I receive, so that we can reach out from this place of community and light the way for others, so that our spark of hope burns brightly here in our church on the corner.

Staying hopeful, connected and grateful in a year like 2020 isn’t something that just happens. It takes opting in over and over. Here at Epiphany, the community we’ve created makes choosing “in” that much more fun! Come hang with us on Thursday nights and find out what we’re up to! But first, take a minute and click here and pledge what you can! Support the work we’re doing together to keep the hope, connection and faith alive in our world!

Blessings to all,

Laurel Musson
Parishioner and “Stronger Together” Reconnection Chat Lead

**********

* Come online to our Stronger Together Reconnection Chat tomorrow night(Thursday, Oct 15) anytime between 8:30 – 9:30 PM. ALL are welcome!

* Join us online or in person this Sunday at 10 AM for worship! If you would like to attend in-person worship, please make your reservation here. We will celebrate Giving Sunday, praying over all of our pledges! Again welcome Rev. Matthew Dumont-Machowski as he presides over worship for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost.

* Join us in person for our Drive-In Prayer Service and Food Drive on Sunday evening at 5:30 PM in our parking lot. Bring non-perishable food items for the food pantry and let’s worship together from the safety of your car.

* As always, Epiphany’s vestry and staff are here to support you in any way we can. Please contact Susan Buckner, Senior Warden at: srwarden@epiphanyec.org