“Summer” as we define it in these parts, is more than halfway over, and this has not been a slow summer at church by any stretch of the imagination.
As I write this page, we’ve come off of a successful run of the musical, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Nineveh.” Five years in the making, capped off by six weeks of rehearsals, produced a good result. There was good chemistry in the small ensemble that came together and we were able to raise over $2000 for “Project Nineveh.” I believe that the whole experience was a positive one for the Salem community and I am very pleased with the way things turned out. Very few of us in this life get to realize a dream unless we are fortunate to have the help of many people along the way. I am thankful for each of you that helped this dream become realized.
We have also continued work on recommendations for permanent changes in the Salem’s constitution and by-laws. As a number of you are aware, we have suspended a number of provisions on a temporary basis as we’ve experimented with changes in the church’s governing structure. Two years is a long time for “temporary” measures—even during a pandemic.The time has come to approve a more permanent structure and we are coming up with recommendations for the congregation to discuss and approve.
Our Faith Formation Team has also been facilitating meetings with the youth and parents of Salem’s family and Lisa Hart, who is our Associate Conference Minister for Faith Formation and
Justice Ministries in the Wisconsin Conference, has been leading these sessions. The purpose is to help focus on the kinds of ministry we would like to see happen as we try to fill the Director of Youth and Family Ministries position. We hope to learn things that will help us along in that search process.
And we’ve had the first volunteers to re-start a tradition at church that has been on hold for almost two and a half years: coffee fellowship. It may seem like a small thing, but it has been a tradition that I’ve personally missed for these last months. I suspect that I’m not the only one who feels this way.
As for the course of the virus that started all of the changes, again, I am not scientist or a clairvoyant (the last I checked, that was not part of my job description!), but it seems to me that after all of the changes and mutations, we may be getting to forms that are more transmissible but far less lethal. As I’ve mentioned before, some form of this virus will be a permanent part of the human experience, like all of the other coronaviruses that have come down the pike—including the common cold. It will be here to stay, in one form or another. Vaccines don’t seem to hinder transmission of the virus, but may well add some protection for developing bad cases of it. The most vulnerable among us will need to take extra precautions. I believe that the rest of us will need to make our peace with it.
We move forward with the grace and help of God—as always.
Enjoy the rest of your summer. It’s such a short time.
Shalom aleichem—Peace be with you.
Rev. Jim Hoppert
