Everyone's worried about the outbreak of swine flu. Some folks are even considering hunkering down in their homes and staying away from all kinds of gatherings, including church. But at least one United Methodist pastor is offering some common-sense counsel in the midst of pandemic panic.
The Rev. Diana Holbert, pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in East Dallas, sent an email Wednesday to members and supporters of the church. In it, Rev. Holbert offered the following advice on church attendance:
"1. If you are coughing or sneezing, it's probably a good idea to stay home. Let us know and we'll send you a cassette tape of the service if you like!" says the pastor.
"2. If you are well, I encourage you to come together to worship and to pray for those who are sick or panicked."
Rev. Holbert adds that Grace UMC will continue its sanitary practice of washing hands and using hand sanitizer before serving the bread and grape juice of Holy Communion. These practices have become common at many churches that receive bread from a common loaf, which is a Christian symbol for the unity of the body of Christ, the church.
Grace UMC's pastor says in her email that she won't withhold the personal touch of fellowship: "I will continue to shake hands and offer hugs to those who desire it. For those who want to keep a distance, just smile and give a wave."
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Hayden Henshaw (above), 18, who is recovering from swine flu, sits at his home in Cibolo, Texas, Tuesday, April 28, 2009.
Henshaw is sniffling but quickly recovering, and now his family is mostly sick of the self-imposed quarantine that's had them cooped up for four days. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) |
Rev. Holbert invites Grace UMC members and guests to attend worship this coming Sunday, May 3. "Let's take a deeper look at what Psalm 23 has to say to us today. It may just be what the Doctor ordered," she writes.
The pastor closes with the encouragement: "Breathe peace, not germs."
| What's your church doing about health practices as a result of swine flu predictions? Share your comments below. |
Comments
My church denomination (Mennonite Church Canada) offers a web site: www.churchpandemicresources.ca and has a Twitter aggregating site for flu info at www.twitter.com/churchflu.
I'm tired of professional scolds who are so eager to criticize all those folks who are purportedly "panicking" over swine flu. Who's panicking? Where? OK, the media's all over it, but so what? The media is all over something all the time. You could argue that updates on a potential pandemic are a bit more important than updates on, for example, Madonna. Please, don't mistake your own lack of "panic" for some sort of moral superiority.
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