World Communion Celebrations this Sunday
John and Kym are feeling better and testing negative this week. On Sunday they will celebrate the Lord's Supper at First Collinsville. We are NOT closed.
The Mary Horner Walker and Danube Churches have cancelled services due to power outages in their areas.
Worship Service with some COVID-19 precautions Sundays at 11 AM
October 2,
"Where Can You Find the True Vine?"
First posted on October 4, 2020
To the Church Family
EAGLES
October 2, 2022
By John Wiederholt
After two and a half years of scrupulous mask-wearing, hand washing, crowd avoiding, vaccine boostering and (sigh) advice giving, A week and a half ago I got COVID-19. I have no idea how or where I got it. It seems that the current variant doesn’t require much exposure to start an infection. The speed at which the symptoms developed was really scary. On Wednesday morning I was sniffling. Two hours later I had congestion deep in my lungs, by afternoon I was remembering that people can die from this stuff. I got tested at a nearby drugstore. It confirmed what we already knew from home tests. I had IT. I called my doctor. After conferring with him I decided to start an oral treatment. Thursday my symptoms were miserable, but not worse. Friday, I started getting better. My story was about the same as many others, who are vaccinated with boosters. That’s all I’m going to write about my symptoms other than that as I write this, I feel OK. However, in order protect everyone I might encounter, I am still in isolation. That’s what I want to write about. Not that I am complaining. I very well could still be contagious. I wouldn’t wish even my moderate case of COVID-19 on anyone. I am also aware that Kym and I were isolated together. Isolated together is a great deal different than isolated alone. We were doubly fortunate because our positive tests were staggered. One or the other of us always felt good enough to cook although one or the other of us did not always feel like eating. However, our experience of COVID isolation made me think about all the ways that people are isolated in our world not just those in 5-day quarantine, but the many others around us who are in various ways isolated for the long term.
The pandemic introduced most of us to some level of isolation. We missed a lot of things that didn’t happen and there were times when we were encouraged to stay home, but I am thinking now about people who were isolated before the pandemic and/or will continue to be isolated if it is ever over. Many people in our community live alone and have few visitors even few phone calls. Some of those people live in a single room or in very restricted space. Among the oldest many have seen most of their friends pass away. Some have families that are far away, and some have no families at all.
We inevitably feel frustrated when we seem isolated from our usual contacts even for a few days. But we should let these experiences remind us of all those who are really alone and whose isolation is long-term. Who do you know that would have a red-letter day if you could visit them. Visiting still being very restricted, who do you know whose day would be brightened by a phone call, a text, a letter, or an email. A tiny window on the rest of the world is better than no window at all. A moment of caring is better than living with the conviction that no one cares. We all wish that COVID-19 never happened, and we are anxious for it to go away but… My grandmother’s favorite among the hoard of wise sayings she kept on hand for suitable occasions was this. “There’s no great loss without some small gain.” We can’t change what has happened and we have less control than we would like over what is going to happen, but we can learn from our experiences even if they are bad experiences. There are lessons here that we need to learn, lessons that God wants us to learn about ways we can serve others.
Blessings,
John
Kym and John provided a video worship service for the August 20 meeting of the Presbytery of the Peaks. Kym also gave a report on her experience as a commissioner to the General Assembly. Both videos can be found on our Presbytery page.
Resources for Helping those Suffering Food Insecurity
Grace Network
City of Martinsville-Healthy Food Hub
Food Insecurity in Henry County
Many Hands Giving Food in Henry County
PCUSA – Hunger action Congregations
A letter from our partners at Grace Network, Martinsville/Henry County
A Sparkling Church
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