Dear St. A’s Church Family,

It is Sunday morning, March 22, 2020, when normally we would be thinking about gathering to worship at St. A’s. With this corona virus pandemic, however, it can be no more than a thought. When I came to our kitchen shortly after 6 o’clock and looked out the window facing in a south –easterly direction, I could see the colours of dawn. The sun was not yet risen but hanging there was a pin prick of glorious light. On another morning, the CJAD radio broadcasters had been discussing whether that light was Jupiter or Mars. Also there that morning was the last quarter of the moon. Now there was no sign of it. I wondered if that is how people are thinking of God just now; where did He go?
The Scriptures say we walk by faith not by sight. That is, that just as the moon has apparently entered its new moon faze and we cannot see it, we trust that God is there even when we cannot see Him. This week I phoned a senior clergy friend, a dear man of deep faith and with a very thick francophone accent. We were ordained together. He has been in ill health for some time and lives in a care facility. I didn’t realize I was phoning him on the second anniversary of his wife’s death, and I didn’t know he was now recovering in another facility having almost died from minor surgery.
I was feeling sorry for him, but he said that actually this health incident was good for him. He said he’d been in a very dark place, mentally and spiritually, but God had used this illness to bring him out of it. … He became aware of God again in the dark.
As I browsed over titles from different Christian organizations on my computer this morning, and as I have listened to the radio over the last few days and spoken with various people, I see that God is still there and good things are happening, even in the darkness.
As we find ourselves in this valley, let us reach out and grasp of the hand of the Lord. He is the Light. We may not be able to see Him nor the road ahead just now, but He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, now and always.

With love and prayers and email hugs,
Rev. Alice

P. S. I think you will find some very encouraging material on you tube by such people as Rev. Nicky Gumbal, (Choose faith, not fear) Rev. Dr. Timothy Keller (How to deal with dark times), Rev. Dr. Ravi Zacharias (True love in a time of crisis)