I am
one of the callers for the "phone call ministry," staying in touch
with other parishioners during this time when we are all struggling to cope
with various issues but we can't be together to worship God and to support each
other. The conversations give a new insight into how important our church
is in all the parishioners' lives. Many talk about their appreciation for
the ways St. Andrew's is there for them, still active as our church, even
during this pandemic.
I
have talked to friends I've made at church over the last thirty years, and I am
beginning to know people I hadn't known well or have just now met for the first
time on the telephone. We've shared personal
stories, some serious and anxious and sad, and some entertaining.
Often we find that we have similar views on how this crisis is or should
be handled. I look forward to seeing and talking to my telephone friends
in person at church. One of the only good things the COVID
crisis brings us is a reminder of how much our relationships
mean. Thanks to these calls, I am reconnected with a man who cut our
grass when he was a teenager. I have learned a new game to play
with my grandson on Facebook. I have, sadly, learned the word
"endemic." And I am encouraged to check on more of my
friends, in and out of town, than I already have.
As
Barbra Streisand sings, "People who need people are the luckiest people in
the world." I'm glad we're making these calls.
Isabel
Hatchett
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