Be Still

One morning I took a seminary roommate to the hospital after he vomited 10 times before 9:00. Once he was admitted and medicated, he looked at the whiteboard on the wall and read the Bible verse scribbled on it: “Be still, and know that I am God.” It’s a verse you can see on mugs and cross-stitches around the world, and for good reason—it’s a verse of great comfort.

My roommate saw it and mumbled “they left out the part where God melts the earth.” Even in his stupor, he knew Psalm 46. Take a moment to read it. When God says to his people “be still, and know that I am God,” he’s saying “I’m the one who fights for you.” When he says it to the world, it’s like he’s taken three squabbling kids and put them in time out—“don’t move until I say it’s time.” It reminds me of Jesus saying "be still" to the wind and the wave in Mark 4:39. Storms rage and kingdoms totter, but when God says a word it all comes crashing down. All the “powers” of the world that threaten God’s people shatter. In a world of chaos, he is our refuge. God is in the midst of his people.

We don’t feel the threat of warring nations right now, but we are seeing our world grind to a halt because of a microscopic threat. We are not looking for the earth to melt, but we do long for hope and healing. So when quarantine makes you feel lonely, when market downturns make you feel vulnerable, when avoiding an enemy you can’t see leaves you unnerved, hear God’s words. “Be still.” You don’t have to fight for yourself. God is your fortress. He is your refuge and strength. He is your help in trouble. And even when we cannot gather together He is here in our midst.

Take some time this week to sit in God’s presence. Remember the times you have seen his faithfulness. Meditate on Psalm 46. Confess your worries and ask for the faith to trust. God’s “be still” is not a quarantine. It’s the promise of his presence, even when the world is upside down.


Justin

What We Can Do

This is a strange time for all of us, and we're in the midst of something we have never experienced before. We are trying to make the best of things in a largely unsure world. With all social activities canceled, many of us have been given the gift of time. It is our hope that when we look back on this season, we will not think of this time as wasted but as time well spent. The first and foremost thing we can do is pray. Prayer is powerful and it has been so encouraging to see how we have come together to pray already. We will be hosting Morning Prayer on Sunday and Compline on Tuesday and Thursday but we also encourage you all to find other ways to pray together. The links and liturgy for each of these meetings are included in the events section of this letter.

We also want to take action during this time. There are people around us who were food insecure before the crisis and now things are worse for them given the empty shelves. There are two ways we have decided to provide support during this time. Richmond City Public Schools is setting up distribution centers around the city to provide food for those who would normally be receiving school meals. These shifts are three hours or less and will be running on all week days until school resumes. You can sign up for a volunteer shift here. We are hoping to get a few of us to volunteer a couple of days next week. If you are not vulnerable to the effects of infection, and would like to join, please sign up for Thursday at Carver Elementary here. Please sign up for Wednesday or Friday at Binford Middle here. Please keep in mind that the spots are first come and there are a limited number available.

The other way we are helping is by providing support to Grace & Peace. This is a ministry that serves in the Mosby Court area of Richmond City. Many of those they serve receive food stamps (and so were unable to stock up) and often the families living together are very large. They are currently delivering food directly to those they serve. If you would like to make a donation, you can do so here and put in the comments that it is for food for the COVID-19 crisis. They are also accepting food donations if you prefer that. Please reach out to me if you would like to make a food donation, I have worked with this ministry before and will help coordinate dropping off the food.

Katherine

Coffee in the Park

As most of you all know, we will be giving away coffee and hot chocolate at Deep Run Park on Saturday and Sunday morning this weekend (March 14-15) and again on March 28-29.  We will have a table at the park from 8:00-11:00am each morning and would love to have several people from Incarnation at the table at all times.  Our desire for these mornings is to take a small step forward in learning to love and bless the people in our community, spread awareness about the church, and share the kindness of Jesus in a tangible way.
 
If this is intimidating to you, don’t worry!  We will have several people there at all times (Steven or Justin will be there most of the time), and you aren’t being asked to give a “sales pitch” for the church or full gospel presentation.  This is merely opening the door to those outside the church.  If people ask why we are doing it, the only answer you need to give is that we want to share the kindness of Jesus with others , or that we want people to know our church exists so that they know where they can turn when they are in a place of need.
 
Please sign up for one of the slots!  If a slot is already full, don’t hesitate to add yours and join the group!