“How to protect your church in a time of civil unrest.”  From our denomination’s insurance board.

Wow, if that was not a sobering moment….

I passed on to council and trustees, and there are some nuggets about preparedness and organizational operations that will be relevant and helpful to us.

These material matters… matter. We’ll be talking about them in the coming days.

I am also laser-focused on other kinds of “protection” for your well-being, Church. I’m thinking, praying for all of us in these ways:

May it be that we plan well for resilience by being cautious about what voices and messages we let shape our minds. May it be that God’s wisdom grows in you so that you may see most objectively the truth beneath the risk assessments of our daily forecasts. May this lead to vigilance in prayer and action to care for yourself and others. May you be free from the bondage of the kind of fear that is not of God.

May it be that God’s enabling Spirit so pours out grace within you that you stop at nothing to care for yourself, and love yourself better and better, more fully than ever, in these tender times. May you gently accept the worth God’s placed on you, shown in the love and life of Jesus Christ. May it be that you are protected from a false sense of powerlessness, as well as from denial or the dangers of defending that which does not need to be defended.

May you be protected from any lingering corrosion of bitterness and despair, these natural inclinations which belong to some seasons but do not need to have the last word.

May you be protected in ways like these… and protected not just “from” but “for.” May you be protected in the ways that allow you to be open, flexible, caring and compassionate. May you be protected in order that you can risk, and give, and share in all that is worthy.

These are the stirrings of spirit, for times of civil unrest and ALL TIMES. Please know I am praying for you and here to serve you in any way I can during this difficult time.

In Christ’s Peace,
Pastor Jacki