March 17, 2020
To my friends in the community of St. John’s at Penntown,
This is a very challenging time for our world and for each of us. We will not have worship at church on March 22 or March 29. April worship schedule will be decided by the end of March.
May the Lord bless and keep you, each one.
As your pastor, and someone whose family experienced the death of five family members in the flu epidemic in 1918, I ask your help in ministering to our community at this time.
My grandmother, who faced much hardship, taught me that in difficult times God would bring us comfort and even humor if we ask for it. Also as a child I loved Dr. Seuss, and I learned if I could translate tasks into “Seuss-speak” it helped me remember what I needed to do in challenging times.
Here are some suggestions about our situation:
- Challenge: Call friends, family, members… Check – encourage – chat.
Dr. Seuss translation:
“A call to a friend gives no one the flu;
offer prayers for good health & ask for them, too.”
- Challenge: We are sure at this time our food pantry will need donations.
Dr. Seuss translation:
“If you are eating and someone is not,
the extra you have beats the empty they’ve got.”
Again, our message is:
“No service in March, in April we’ll see;
A month at a time is how it must be.”
In love and fellowship,
Your Interim Pastor – Rev. Dave Johnston
