Dear Cathedral Family,
Ten weeks ago, my husband Mike broke his kneecap. After surgery to repair the break, he has spent the time since with his leg in an immobilizer, to allow the bone to mend. Now, finally, he is beginning the long slow process of physical therapy to regain strength in those long unused muscles. He still has to rely on the brace, because as his doctor said, “The muscles aren’t yet strong enough to hold up the body.”
Eighteen months ago, we all abruptly entered pandemic lockdown, beginning a long period of social immobility and distancing. Our life together as the Church, the gathered Body of Christ, became “virtual” and remote. Now, finally, after the false start of this spring and the Delta variant wave of late summer, we are trying, slowly and gradually, to resume our life together in person. But our community life muscles have been long unused, and they will need time and deliberate exercise in order to regain strength. We seem to gain ground for a few weeks in attendance and resuming active lay ministries, but then we stumble and fall back. The muscles aren’t yet strong enough to hold up the Body.
If you’ve ever physically rehabilitated from a break or repair, you know how important it is to do your prescribed exercises obediently. If you don’t, you may never regain full strength or range of motion. The same is true for us right now in the Cathedral Family. Our community muscles need exercising in order to gain the strength to hold us up and keep moving.
Soon, our supper clubs will resume for those who signed up; this is one gentle way to begin exercising those muscles. Invite others to join you! If you haven’t begun using your ministry muscles immobilized during the pandemic, now is the time to begin using them again slowly and gently—in providing hospitality, serving on Altar Guild or as an usher or in some other ministry.
The Body needs you to re-engage. Our strength and quality of life depend on each one of us working to hold us up together.
Faithfully,
Beverly+