Coronavirus Archives - Northminster Evangelical Presbyterian Church

Upcoming Event Changes at Northminster

Posted on Sep 9, 2021 by David Garrison in Announcements, Coronavirus, HomePage, News | 0

Due to the current state of COVID infections in Amherst County, we have made a couple of changes to upcoming events that we wanted to bring to your attention.

The Community Worship Celebration at Madison Heights Baptist Church on Sunday, September 19 has been cancelled. We look forward to partnering with our sister churches in Madison Heights for other opportunities in the future.
The Kickoff for Sunday Night Live, originally scheduled for this Sunday, September 12, will now be next Sunday, September 19 from 6:30-7:45. Look for more information about this via email and mail in the days to come.
Sunday Morning Worship will continue to be offered in-person and online.

We continue to be grateful for the wise and prudent manner with which you are handling the pandemic and these outbreaks. As we are not seeing many of you on a regular basis, please do not hesitate to reach out to us if there’s anything we can do for you. You are all in our prayers!

September 2021 Pastor’s Corner – 18 Months

Posted on Sep 1, 2021 by David Garrison in Christian Living, Coronavirus, Devotions, General, HomePage, Pastor's Corner, Prayers, Reading the Bible, Spiritual Growth | 0

It’s now been just about 18 months since this pandemic really started exploding across our country, and what a rollercoaster of an 18 months its been. There was the first few months of initial fear when everything shut down in March of 2020. But as we moved through the summer and the infection numbers in central Virginia stayed relatively low, we began to hope that things would return to normal by the fall, if not Christmas. With the return of school (although not “normal” school) in the fall, that hope continued to rise. But then as we moved into December and January, we saw a severe spike in infections in our area, and our hope began to fade. But then the vaccines became widely available, and numbers began to shrink again through the spring of 2021 – the end seemed to be in sight! Hope burned more brightly through this summer, as numbers in our area continued to decrease and plans to go back to “normal” school were put in place…but an anxiety lurked under the surface as news of highly contangious variants began to spread. And then school did begin, just last week (at the time I’m writing this). Now here we are today, on August 26, after only 6 schooldays, and all secondary schools in Amherst County are closed for a week and the Delta variant is running rampant in our area. Is this ever going to end? What do we do? How are we to hold on to hope in this midst of this rollercoaster of uncertainty?

Consider the wisdom of Psalm 40:

I waited patiently for the LORD;

he inclined to me and heard my cry.

He drew me up from the pit of destruction,

out of the miry bog,

and set my feet upon a rock,

making my steps secure.

He put a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear,

and put their trust in the LORD. (Psalm 40:1-3)

Whenever I read this Psalm, I always think of the picture of the lighthouse above. Look closely. Do you see the man standing in the doorway, completely at ease as these giant waves crash around him? He is still in the midst of the storm, but God has set him securely on the rock and protected him from harm. We would all prefer that God bring an end to this pandemic, and one day He surely will. In the meantime though, He invites us to trust Him even in the midst of the storm. Whether that storm is a pandemic, the loss of a job, a crisis of health, being persecuted for your faith, or any other number of things, the counsel is still the same. Trust in the Lord. He likely won’t remove the storm, but He will hold you safe and secure in the midst of the storm.

As we all become worn out and weary, tempted to lose hope that COVID will ever go away, hold fast to the Lord. Continue to cry out to Him and trust in Him. He might not remove the storm, but He will set your feet on the Rock of Jesus Christ and secure you. As you find His peace in the midst of the storm, may you find yourself singing a new song of praise to Him.

Blessings,

Rev. David Garrison

April 2021 Pastor’s Corner – It’s Just Not The Same

Posted on Mar 31, 2021 by David Garrison in Coronavirus, Fellowship, General, HomePage, Ministry, Missions, News, Pastor's Corner | 0

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb. 10:25)

One of the most incredible aspects of the past year is how businesses and people adapted to the realities of the pandemic and stay-at-home orders. Things we used to only be able to do by leaving the house transformed in a few short weeks into things you could do from the comfort of your couch. Need groceries? Place the order online and you can pick them up without ever leaving your car. Want to eat out? No problem, they’ll bring the food and leave it at your door. The latest blockbuster movie? Catch it on release day right there in your living room. A year ago only the largest and wealthiest churches were live-streaming, but now almost every church is doing so, including ours. These are amazing and wonderful advances and changes, for which there is much to be thankful.

But can we be honest for a moment? As great as all of that is, it’s just not the same. How many times have you purchased the wrong quantity of something because you couldn’t tell how big it was from the teeny picture on your phone? We’ve almost finished a 25lb bag of flour we accidentally bought last April. Being able to use Doordash and UberEats is great… but no matter how quick they are, nothing beats the ambiance of the restaurant and eating it fresh from the kitchen. And Greyhound and Soul were amazing movies… but something gets lost when you’re not seeing it on the big screen.

All of that is even more true when it comes to church and corporate worship. We’ve learned a lot over the past year about what it truly means to be the church, that in many ways we are able to do more “Kingdom work” outside these walls than within them. And we are so grateful to be able to provide the ability to worship together when we can’t physically be present at the church. But, again, can we be honest? It really isn’t the same. And it shouldn’t be the same.

Much moreso than eating out, going to the movies or shopping for groceries, worshipping our Lord and Savior is meant to be done by being physically present with other believers. Yes, the Holy Spirit is still present with us and unites us together even when we’re apart, but there is something crucial and important that happens when we gather together for Sunday worship. Whether it’s singing our praises to the Lord, praying for one another, celebrating the Sacraments, or hearing the Word of God proclaimed, it’s meant to be experienced in-person, not over a screen.

You’ll see throughout this newsletter how we are moving back to in-person worship, ministry and mission. We’ll be talking about it more as the weather warms up as well. Right now, we’re looking at Pentecost Sunday as our “target date” for coming together as the Body of Christ. You are welcomed and encouraged to join us for in-person worship before that date or on it. Please know we’re not choosing to ignore the realities of the pandemic or letting our guard down. We are recognizing that great strides have been taken over the past few months and that we are now at a place where we can, with confidence, say, it’s time to gather back as the Body of Christ and get to work on the mission Christ has given to us in Madison Heights, Amherst County, and around the world. As our website says,

We are a biblically-based Presbyterian church seeking to experience and share God’s love to transform our homes, community and the world. We hope you will join us.

See you soon!

Blessings,

Rev. David Garrison

Youth Ministry April 2021 Update

Posted on Mar 31, 2021 by David Garrison in Announcements, Coronavirus, HomePage, News, Youth | 0

With the latest guidance from the CDC and VDH, guidance that says social distancing for schools is now down to 3ft, the increase in vaccinations, and indoor groups expanded to 50, we have decided to no longer continue the Zoom youth group meetings. We hope all students will join us in person.

Note: There will be No Youth Group on Easter Sunday, April 4 or the following Sunday, April 11, for Spring Break.

March 2021 Pastor’s Corner – Casting Your Cares

Posted on Mar 1, 2021 by David Garrison in Christian Living, Coronavirus, Devotions, General, HomePage, Ministry, Pastor's Corner, Prayers, Spiritual Growth | 0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1spkhp41ig4

Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you;
He will never let the righteous be shaken. — Psalm 55:22

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. — 1 Peter 5:7

How are you doing, really? By the time this month ends, we’ll have lived in this pandemic with the ensuing quarantine and social distancing for an entire year. While some are anticipating that we’ll reach “herd immunity” by April, President Biden is suggesting that we shouldn’t expect a return to “normal” until Christmas. I think we’re all feeling the weight and strain in a heavier, more difficult way right now. It’s the weariness of being under stress and anxiety for a far longer period of time than our minds, our bodies and our emotions were meant to endure. And, of course, on top of the pandemic sits all of the pain and hurts that simply come with being human and being alive — pains and hurts that can be difficult enough to bear when we aren’t in a pandemic, but become nearly impossible to bear due to the pandemic. What are you doing with your hurts and pains (emotional and physical), the anxieties and fears, the weights and burdens of living in these hard times?

As the verses above remind and encourage us, God wants us to bring all of our cares and anxieties to him. But just what does that look like? I’m sure most of us have, at some point in time, cried out to the Lord and verbally thrown everything at him at once. That can be therapeutic — much like the whistle of a teapot lets off the pressure of the boiling water — and if you haven’t unburdened your soul that way in a long time, I absolutely encourage you to do so. But, if you have done that, you’ve probably found the same thing I have: while the immediate pressure release is helpful, the burdens and weights are still there. I’d like to invite you to try an ancient spiritual practice that helps us to hand our cares to the Lord in a more intentional way, a way that invites the Holy Spirit to sustain us more deeply.

The Daily Replay

The process is called The Daily Examen and was developed by St. Ignatius centuries ago. It is a 5-step process of prayerfully reviewing your day and anticipating the day to come. While meant to be practiced each day, it can be prayed at any point during the day. How long you take to work through the prayer is up to you — it could be as short as 5 minutes or as long as you need. Here’s an overview of what the process looks like:

1. Become aware of God’s presence.

Take several moments to breathe, relax, and invite God to be present with you.

Sometimes settling our body and mind is really difficult, especially when we have a lot going on.

One trick is to focus on our breathing. When we breathe slow and deep, we let our body and souls know that it is okay to relax and rest in God’s presence. Slowly take three seconds to breathe in through your nose, making sure to fill your belly with air . . . and then take three seconds to breathe out slowly through your mouth. Pause, then breathe in again. Repeat that a few times.

As you continue to breathe deeply and slowly, acknowledge God’s presence with each breath.

(Pause for a few moments)

2. Review the day with gratitude.

Look back through your day as if you were watching scenes from a movie. What happened? What were you like? What were others doing around you?

What are the good things that have happened today? What can you give thanks for?

(Pause for a few moments)

3. Pay attention to your emotions.

Ask yourself about how you felt at different points during the day.

What moments throughout your day have been difficult or tense?

When did you feel happy, excited, or at peace?

(Pause for a few moments)

4. Forgive, and ask for forgiveness.

Who are you angry or frustrated at?

Are there things you can forgive and let go in order to have peace?

What would you like to be forgiven for?

(Pause for a few moments)

5. Look toward tomorrow.

How might tomorrow be different?

What would you like to ask God to help with?

(Pause for a few moments)

Take some time to wrap up your conversation with God silently.

This kind of contemplative prayer can seem strange at first, but once we settle into the rhythm of it, I think you’ll find your awareness of the presence of God is growing stronger. Instead of just throwing our cares at God, through this process we more intentionally place them in God’s hands. Here are a few online resources to help you with The Daily Examen:

A video walk-through of the prayer: https://fullerstudio.fuller.edu/prayer-of-examen/
Using The Examen with teens and children (the above walkthrough is from this site): https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/blog/teaching-young-people-a-daily-way-to-pray
A deeper look at The Examen: https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/

Blessings,

Rev. David Garrison

Feb '21

Ash Wednesday – Out of Dust

Posted on Feb 17, 2021 by David Garrison in Christian Living, Coronavirus, Devotions, General, HomePage, Ministry, News, Spiritual Growth, Worship | 0

Feb '21

As is obvious by now, we are not having an Ash Wednesday service this year, nor are the Community Lenten Services happening. The pandemic continues to take its toll. I know that for many of us, the Ash Wednesday service and the Community Lenten Services play a significant role in helping us mark the season of Lent. Not having those services makes it hard to feel like it’s really Lent. It would be like having Advent without Christmas music or decorations. It’s just not the same.

I spent a large chunk of today working on a video about Ash Wednesday, something to tie together the beginning of Lent, the significance of Ash Wednesday, and the struggles we all face dealing with a pandemic that is working through its 11th month. To be honest, it was a frustrating process that just never quite came together the way I was hoping it would. So, I took a break and went for a walk. Sometimes, you just need to clear your head for a bit.

While I was walking, one of my favorite songs started playing. The song is Beautiful Things by Gungor. As I let the song wash over me, I realized that this song pretty much covers everything I wanted to say, much better than I could have said it. So, I’m including the video here, for your encouragement, enjoyment and edification. May it help focus and center you for this season of Lent.

Oct '20

October 2020 Pastor’s Corner – Pulling Together — For The Kingdom

Posted on Oct 1, 2020 by David Garrison in Christian Living, Coronavirus, General, HomePage, Local Service, Ministry, Pastor's Corner, Spiritual Growth | 0

Oct '20

He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christians in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.— Eph. 4:11–13 THE MESSAGE)

I’ve been watching a trend recently that has me concerned. It has become increasingly difficult to find people who are able and willing to serve in the various ministries and missions of the church. Our committees have been shrinking and appeals for folks to get involved and help out have gone unanswered. As a pastor, I am concerned about this trend and spend much of my time praying about why this is and what we might do about it.

Perhaps you might be thinking, well, we are in a pandemic. We are discouraged from participating in the very things that are part-and-parcel of church ministry. This is true. But what the pandemic has done is accelerate what was already happening. Even in my short three years at Northminster, I’ve noticed a very steady decrease in volunteer activity in the church. The pandemic creates problems with solving this issue; it doesn’t explain the cause.

A better diagnosis might be found in the reality that we are an aging congregation. Many of you have served the Kingdom of God and this congregation faithfully for decades. You have tirelessly poured yourselves out for the sake of Northminster, and have done so willingly and gladly. There are not enough words to express the gratitude I, and everyone else, feels, for your service. You have earned a rest, and you deserve a rest.

The hard truth is that aging congregation or not, global pandemic or not, the work, ministry and mission of the church goes forward. No church can function without its volunteers — for small churches like ours, though, it’s more than essential. God has gathered this congregation together, and He has given each of us gifts and abilities meant to be used for the building up of the Body of Christ. An essential part of our growth as disciples, of our maturing as Christians, is putting into practice “skilled servant work” as we read above. In order for the church to be healthy, we all need to participate. How we go about that work might look a little bit different in the midst of a pandemic, but nevertheless the work goes on.

Why do I bring this up? For several reasons. While some ministries are still on hold due to the pandemic, others are still moving forward and we need folks to serve in those areas. One such example is the youth ministry — we have enough students and a broad enough age range that we need to have separate high school and middle school groups. But more than that, it’s time to find our next class of elders to begin serving in 2021. We have two or three elder positions to fill. One of those positions has remained empty since I arrived in 2017. Each year, the challenge before the nominating committee to fill the open seats has increased. This year, we go about this work in the midst of a pandemic.

I invite you to search your heart humbly and prayerfully to see if the Holy Spirit is prompting you to step into one of those positions. Under normal circumstances, that can be an intimidating nudge. I know that under these circumstances it’s even moreso. I leave you with these verses to guide your prayers:

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. — 2 Tim. 1:6–7

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. — 1 Tim. 3:1

Blessings,
Rev. David Garrison

Pastor’s Mid-Week Bible Study Begins This Week!

Posted on Sep 14, 2020 by David Garrison in Announcements, Coronavirus, General, HomePage, News, Reading the Bible, Spiritual Growth | 0

These are strange and unusual times. Last week, the students of Amherst County went back to school – some are going in person, but only two days a week, some are 4 days a week; and others are returning to school virtually. And the life of the church is beginning to adapt to this “new normal” as well. Other than worship and a few circle meetings, for the past 6 months the ministry and life of Northminster has been on pause. It’s time to start some things back up.

One of the primary purposes of the church is discipling its members, helping us all grow in the grace and truth of our Lord Jesus Christ. To that end, we are beginning a mid-week pastor’s bible study, starting Wednesday, September 16 from 10:30-11:30am. This bible study will meet in-person and online, at the same time. If you would like to join us in person, we’ll be appropriately socially distanced in the fellowship hall. If you’d prefer to join us online, you can do so through Zoom.

We do ask that you please sign up for one of the two groups – you can change between the two at any time, or just sign up for both if you’re feeling indecisive. Signing up will enable us to set up the Fellowship Hall appropriately, and also let us know how many to expect in-person and online. Click on this link to sign up.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

I look forward to exploring God’s Word with you, beginning this Wednesday.

Weekly Youth Group Meetings Resume September 27, 2020!

Posted on Sep 14, 2020 by David Garrison in Announcements, Coronavirus, HomePage, News, Youth | 0