“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” -Psalm 27:1 (NRSV)

What is saving my life now? I think being part of the community of believers is such an important part of feeling “fairly normal” in COVID times when many people live in fear. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” In this era of technology, there are so many ways that we can still communicate with each other and support each other. Of course, nothing replaces that hug from a friend! But we can phone, email, participate in a Zoom meeting or FaceTime, etc. We can write that cheery card of encouragement to a shut-in friend. We can drop off a treat or something we baked to a member of our pod.

As a member of the Stewardship Committee, last year we decided to try having small groups as a way of bringing the church community together during COVID-19. I host our group that meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at 7:00 PM via Zoom. It has been an excellent opportunity to get to know members of St. Paul’s on a more intimate basis. Also, we have supported each other during times of health issues, traveling across the country, and other concerns. That time at the end of the hour when we share concerns and prayer requests has become an essential part of our time together. It is wonderful to have the support of the group.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to be involved in other non-profits. It is so important to spend time helping others and therefore moving the focus from our fears and concerns to making a difference in people’s lives. How rewarding that has been for me!

Lord, help me to look for opportunities to reach out to others and share Your love with others. Thank you for the support of the community of faith here at St. Paul’s. Amen.
-Marilyn Allen

“Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.” -Psalm 25:5 (NRSV)

The pandemic put a stop to many things that I had previously considered to be essential in my life. One of the things I have missed the most has been participating in St. Paul’s Choir. Singing in a church choir is an offering to God and the congregation. It is also a gift to the singer. There is something very special when a disparate group of individuals comes together and combines voices to create something new. The synchronization of breathing together, entering on the proper note, and ending together requires practice – together. It is the ultimate bumper sticker moment: Those who sing, pray twice.

What God has taught me is to appreciate the opportunity to learn the new skill of electronically combining the videos faithfully recorded by David and members of the choir into a virtual anthem. I knew the capability existed and had admired the work of others. But little did I know that the necessary software was already on my computer and detailed instructions could be found on YouTube!

God has taught me many things as I have struggled to replicate the synchronization that comes so naturally when practicing in person. Being a teacher and a mother taught me a lot about patience – but learning this new skill required Patience with a capital “P.” We and I have improved (mostly) in our offerings, but there is much still to learn.

My hope is that the level of contagion will soon subside enough to begin to practice and sing in person. In the meantime, I thank God for the faithfulness of David and the choir members as we work together to continue to contribute to the worship experience.

Thank you, God, for teaching me new things, even when I don’t necessarily want to learn them. Be with all those who have suffered illness and loss during this pandemic and keep us ever grateful for the opportunity to sing your praises – in person and virtually. Amen.
-Cathey Frederick

“To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.” -Psalm 22:5 (NRSV)

Sometimes we make poor choices. Once, against my better judgment, I attempted to fix a leaky roof. By myself. Without a rope. The roof was aluminum. When the rain started, the steep roof immediately became slippery. As I slid off the roof. I said, “Oh God!”

The landing came quickly and painfully. I broke some bones in my back and a wrist. Someone spotted me – saved! – and though I was helpless and hurting for real, everything fell into place for my care and mending.

Jesus advises us, “When you are praying, don’t heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do.” (Mt. 6:7.)

I learned that a very brief prayer – “Oh, God!” – uttered in sincerity, has power that matches the psalmist’s, for all its eloquence. In every time, in every place, simple and direct prayer is enough. If the artist in oneself carefully crafts psalms of our own hearts, that too keeps us connected to the God who loves to hear from us.

Be with us now and always.
Oh, God!
-Tom Worrell

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” -Psalm 18:2 (NRSV)

The past 18 months of COVID-19 have been trying, locked away in our homes. I am so grateful that I live in such a beautiful place as the Northwest where I can enjoy the beauty of nature given to us by God. We spent many a weekend on our boat, anchored in a cove, sometimes the only boat in that cove. Just appreciating the majesty of the mountains, the gentle rocking of the boat, the wildlife, made me feel centered again. I took my refuge in nature and felt renewed to be able to go back home to deal with the challenges of the next week.

Think of those who live in a tiny apartment in a high rise in cities across the US. Imagine how they must have felt trapped in that apartment building with high rises all around them, especially during the time of COVID! We have a greenbelt bordering our backyard, so we have deer coming through our yard following the trails blazed centuries before we built here. We never tire of seeing the fawns frolic across the lawn, the bucks doing their dance in the fall rutting season, the does taking care of their fawns. The deer fence around our garden keeps the deer from munching on those tender leaves of new growth.

I started working part-time in Anacortes in the summer of 2019. When COVID hit in early 2020, we all had to start working from home. So that meant I went into Anacortes twice a week to get checks signed and pick up my paperwork. My employer allowed me to work from home permanently when it was time to return to the office. That has given me so much flexibility to be able to get away on the weekends to enjoy nature and fit in my other commitments.

Lord, thank you for the way You provide a refuge when we need it most. Thank you for all the blessings of living in the Pacific Northwest. Amen.
-Marilyn Allen

“But I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.” -Psalm 13:5 (NRSV)

2020 was a really hard year for my mental health. I had to have a hysterectomy in 2019 to fix a chronic issue that was messing with my immune system, and the surgery caused a change in my body that triggered severe depression and anxiety starting in January 2020. It felt like all of my depression medication had stopped working, and my doctor thankfully found a way to even everything out after some trial and error. During this time, my laptop’s keyboard also broke, and sending it to the Geek Squad repair facility meant losing something required for me to get the Lenten devotional book done. I managed to get work done on my phone and various computers in my department’s workroom, but it was one more thing that was messing with me. Add in a student-triggered panic attack, and it was a rough January and February for me. I was finally starting to get my bearings again in March when the pandemic hit, and it felt like I lost everything that was life-giving for me during the week of March 8-14 when campus shut down, church went virtual, and Daniel’s school went to remote learning. My therapist left in June, and I went through two more therapists at their agency before I landed with the one I see now.

So, with all that going on, how exactly have I pulled through? It helped in some ways that I really had no other choice but to push through. While I do live with my parents and my mom does help with Daniel, I did not have the option of pulling the covers over my head and hiding in a dark room like I wanted to at times because I had a kid who needed me to take care of him. I pushed myself to make sure he received the care he needed, and that he was able to do school online. My job helped because I had to earn money somehow. Working with my students gave me a way to use up my anxious energy, and it gave me some purpose. Having been through periods of severe depression before, I also knew that God was present with me even if I couldn’t recognize it at the time.

Gracious God, thank you for the steadfast love you show us, even in periods of anxiety or depression. Amen.
-Jen McCabe