Homestead Zoom Forums:
Faith, not Fear.

We all know it’s challenging to plan more than a week or even a day ahead during this critical time. Our hope is the Forum will be a source for pastoral support; the sharing of ideas, resources, and needs; as well as the stories of our congregations. Above you will see the most recent Zoom call that took place, and as we do more calls, the older ones will be linked below.

Past Zoom Forums
*May 27, 2020 Forum Notes
*May 20, 2020 Forum Notes
*May 13, 2020 Forum Notes
*May 7, 2020 Forum Notes
*April 29, 2020 Forum Notes
*April 22,2020 Forum Notes
*April 15, 2020 Forum Notes
*April 8, 2020 Forum Notes
*April 1, 2020 Forum Notes
*March 26, 2020 Forum Notes
*March 24, 2020 Forum Notes
*March 19, 2020 Forum Notes

Resources

A Resource and Prayers for Times of Anxiousness

I’ve shared these with several pastors and church leaders in Homestead over the last week. They’ve been a big help when I feel my anxiety level rise from watching too much news, several hours a day on Zoom meetings, and thinking I’m reading a foreign language as I try to understand the CARES Act. The article is from Sojourners Magazine “Coping with Anxiety in a Pandemic” by J. Dana Trent. The Prayers come from the Celtic tradition, Northumberland and Iona. I keep them in front of me as a screen saver on my laptop. When I take a break from being digitally connected and the virtual meetings going on, they remind me of what God spoke to Elijah at Horeb:

11 He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ 1 Kings 19:11-13

And they are a reminder of God’s grace and peace which surrounds all of God’s children. I hope they will be a blessing to you.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen Earl

COPING WITH ANXIETY IN A PANDEMIC
BY J. DANA TRENT
Sojourners Magazine March 24, 2020

https://sojo.net/articles/coping-anxiety-pandemic

Christ, as a light
illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield
overshadow me.
Christ under me;
Christ over me;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light;
Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.

God our challenger and disturber,
help us to confront
all that makes for death and despair
in our lives, our communities, our world.
May we never lose sight
of the possibility of transformation
and be continually surprised
by people who believe in one another.