Pastor Jean in Cortez

Since we're unable to be together in worship for Ash Wednesday, here is a prayer to get us thinking about the meaning of the day, the meaning of Lent, and most importantly--where we are in our journey of faith right now.  Last year our congregation joined with other United Methodist churches in our area for a wonderful, interactive, intergenerational Ash Wednesday worship time.  Today the sanctuary sits empty and cold.  Perhaps after a year of pandemic life there are places inside us that also feel empty and cold.  As we begin the season of Lent, let's reflect on those places, then open ourselves to the power and possibility of God.  During these 40 days of Lent, may we all be honest with ourselves about the state of our souls.  Only then can we allow God to bless us and bring us through. Prayer for Ash Wednesday Purifying Mystery, your light exposes in us all that we hide.  Awaken us and all your Holy Church to spiritual combat. Lead us to purity ...

  It's hard to imagine the scope of the loss our country and community are suffering through due to the coronavirus/COVID-19.  Montezuma County has recorded 18 COVID-related deaths, and in a community of our size these deaths are not abstractions--we know who they are, we know their names, and we grieve for the families.  On the Navajo Nation, there have been at least 9,229 deaths due to COVID as of January 19th.  Too many of these people have died alone and far from home after being transferred to hospitals off the Nation.   The total number of reported COVID-related deaths in the United States is 399,500 (reported by Johns Hopkins COVID tracking as of 11am on January 19).  That number will likely be over 400,000 by this evening.  Approximately 3,000-4,000 people are dying from COVID every single day.  Every single day.   Visualizing the extent of these losses is a difficult thing--it's such an enormous number of human lives. ...

  Tuesday, January 19th at 3:30pm in Church Parking Lot A memorial and lighting of the Reflecting Pool will take place on the National Mall in Washington D.C. on Tuesday. Churches across the country are invited to ring their church bells and spend time in prayer and remembrance of the 400,000 Americans who have lost their lives to COVID-19.  Our gathering will take place at the same time as the remembrance in Washington D.C.  If you're unable to join us in the Parking Lot, please take a few moments at home to pray for all the families who are grieving in our nation. Walter Brueggeman, a well-known Christian theologian and writer, says this about who we are called to be as the Church in this time:      " The prophetic tasks of the church are to tell the truth  in a society that lives in illusion, grieve  in a society that practices denial, and express hope  in a society that lives in despair." All of these spiritual tasks are incredibly i...

  "Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."  (Matthew 5:9) I have a pit in my stomach this morning, and a heaviness in my heart.   After witnessing the frightening events from our nation's capitol yesterday, I've received several requests for me to comment and reflect on the situation.  Like you, I was shocked and horrified to see the Capitol building broken into, vandalized and disrespected.  Unfortunately, these events grew out of multiple years of increasing division and disrespect in our government leaders and in our local communities.  Taken to its extreme form, it beca me OK for deluded citizens to attempt to take over our legally elected leaders.   So how do we, as Christians, respond?  We are certainly not the first Christian people to be confronted by dysfunctional government or violent events.  I believe it is important for us to take some deep breaths, turn off the TV, and center o...

Tonight is the longest night of the year for those of us living in the northern hemisphere of Planet Earth.  Ancient humans watched throughout this long night, then celebrated joyously when the light returned with the sunrise.  They knew the darkness would gradually be vanquished, and growth and life would eventually return.  In short, they knew they would survive. For us, tonight is the longest night of the year in a year that has seemed interminable. It feels like we've been dwelling in darkness for a very long time--spiritual, emotional, physical darkness.  It feels like a physical weight we've been carrying or anxiety we've been clenching tightly.  For far too many of us, the darkness has been in the form of grief.  Too many lives lost.  Too many families broken.  Too many patients lost.  Too many caregivers exhausted.  Tonight is indeed the longest night of the year. We can choose to dwell in the darkness--and it is actually importa...

  On Wednesday evening, we gathered outside the Cortez Hospital to light candles and pray for all of our community's healthcare workers.  20+ people attended, representing 3 churches--Methodist, Episcopal and Nazarene.  Jim Mimiaga from the local newspaper attended, took photos and wrote a generous article which can be found here  https://the-journal.com/ articles/194592 Early on in this pandemic--back in March and April--a great deal of attention and appreciation was shown to our healthcare workers.  People shouted from open windows and banged pots and pans each evening to show their support.  Meals were delivered to hospitals and clinics.  Banners thanking healthcare folks were hung from buildings and bridges.  All of this took place while our local Montezuma County, Colorado, numbers were very low.  We simply did not have the number of cases other parts of the country were experiencing. Now we have the numbers!  600+ cases so far in a...

  I have an idea.   After seeing so many healthcare workers speaking out on news programs about the horribly difficult COVID-19 conditions they are working with, I have an idea.  When this pandemic started, these healthcare heroes were being celebrated every night with cheers and noise-making around the country.  Now they are now struggling, for the most part, without any visible signs of support from us, the public.  It's actually worse than that. They are actually being attacked verbally and sometimes physically by people who tell them that the coronavirus is only a hoax and the healthcare folks are lying about all of it.  All while 255,000 Americans have died from this disease and many more are becoming very seriously ill. Nurses across the country report that some of their patients argue and deny the existence of COVID-19 disease--even as they are about to be intubated because they cannot breathe.  Medical workers are being yelled at, harassed...

PSALM 8 Lord , our Lord, how majestic  is your name throughout the earth!      You made your glory higher than heaven! 2  3  When I look up at your skies,   at what your fingers made—      the moon and the stars  that you set firmly in place— 4           who are we  that you think about us?          Who are we  that you pay attention to us? SSDD   It's a somewhat crass acronym that usually stands for  Same S--t Different Day.   Today I'm declaring a different meaning:   Same  Science  Different Day. I find that I am completely fed up with people--especially people who claim to be well-educated--who refuse to accept, admit, affirm, embrace, or even consider  that the scientists among us may have important information for us.  Information we can use to choose our course of ...

23  Psalm 139:23-14 Examine me, God! Look at my heart!      Put me to the test! Know my anxious thoughts! 24  Look to see if there is any hurtful way in me,      then lead me on the eternal path!     I am out of balance.    I know this because my body is acting klutzy:  tripping over extension cords and cracking a bone in my elbow;  bumping into furniture and collecting bruises;  dropping items for no apparent reason.   I know this because my brain is not working in its usual ways.  My attention span is jumpy.  I'm forgetting things that should be easy to remember.  I make decisions without thinking them through and thereby frustrate my friends.  I feel like I can't completely trust my judgment.  I find myself staring into space or just staring at the TV for way too long!  It just feels like my brain is foggy.  I call it "COVID Brain" --unclear thinki...

It's an unfortunate reality that when there is a crisis or disaster--someone will try to take advantage of distressed people and cheat them out of the money they need to rebuild their lives.  I saw it in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.  "Construction companies" approached flooded homeowners and got them to sign contracts to repair their homes.  They required large down payments to "be sure you're at the top of the list."  And then they disappeared.  The next group of abusers pretended to be attorneys that would go after the fake construction companies and "get your money back"--and they required a sizable retainer to "be sure your case will receive immediate attention."  And then they disappeared too.   Con-men and -women seem to have no morals or ethics about ripping off people who are already suffering from a destructive and disorienting crisis. Why am I telling you this?  Because in the past two days, I've experienced THR...

Next Steps for the Navajo COVID Relief Project Words cannot express how grateful we are for the outpouring of love, prayers and donations that are empowering Native Grace Fellowship and First UMC of Cortez to respond in record time to the COVID-19 crisis on the Navajo Nation.  This is our United Methodist connection at its best! Including the final deliveries to be made this week, 500 households on the Navajo Nation have received Food, Household Supplies and Water from this United Methodist Relief Project.  Many of these families tell us that no one else has come to their homes to be sure they have what they need.   First UMC of Cortez members and friends worked to break down bulk foods and supplies into family size containers.  First UMC, Mancos UMC, Native Grace, and community friends packed boxes and prepared deliveries.  Native Grace members drove hundreds of miles to deliver supplies to even the most remote homes in the Southeast Utah porti...

As many of you know, we've had a canine companion at church for the past three years.  Bo the Church Dog came with me from Salt Lake City, where he was a "Foster Fail," meaning when I took him as a foster dog, I ended up adopting him.  Bo had many health problems--especially at first--and he captured my heart with how patient and polite he was with doctors and vet techs poking and prodding him.  "He's such a gentleman," they said.  Bo came to me with kennel cough, body rashes, ear infections, eye problems and ruptured anal glands.  When I adopted him, they had me sign a paper saying I was taking him "as is" (like a used car) and accepting responsibility for his health. It took a while, and not all of Bo's health challenges could be fixed.  But he remained a happy, loving boy to the very end.  Bo left us last week following a series of heart attacks and seizures.  I don't have to tell you that he is greatly missed--by me and his Auntie Rem...

Many words have been written.  Many opinions expressed.  Many news programs produced. Many chants have been yelled out.  Many signs have been made.  Many prayers have been prayed. Some folks took advantage.  Some caused damage and strife.  Most others are in it to stand up for what's right. We cannot ignore it.  We can't wish it away.  Too many in our country live in fear every day. "Those people are crazy," I've heard it said here.  "We don't have a problem--so few African Americans here." We must face the uncomfortable truth:  In our social systems--policing, education, economics, employment, property ownership--we who have white skin have clear advantages.  If you think that's not true, pay attention to how too many people talk about Native Americans, how many times Anglo leaders have broken promises of support for our Native Nations, how much of our history and education is told solely from the Anglo point of view....

Online Bible Study/Discussion Group -- Wednesdays at 10am Sign on to spend a little time together with Pastor Jean as we share our own experiences and seek the wisdom of scripture to light our way.  (The Zoom link for this group is at the end of this email) Today I drove to Shiprock, NM, to deliver donated N95 masks to the hospital there.  While Personal Protection Equipment is more available now, they are still grateful for any additional help.  In order to visit the Shiprock Medical Facility, you are stopped at the parking lot entrance and receive the OK to proceed.  Patients are triaged into various categories and sent on to other stops in the parking lot.  Before entering the facility, you check in with a security guard, then wait to be checked for fever and other symptoms.  I didn't try to enter the building, so the security guard was happy to take our donation.  Both the "gatekeeper" and the guard expressed gratitude for our help. On my way ...

REMINDER:  You are invited to bring flowers to worship on Sunday to place on the stone benches outside the church in honor of the people you are remembering this Memorial Day.  Please bring your own vase or container for your flowers. ===================================================================== Today President Trump demanded that governors allow all the churches and places of worship in their states to open up this weekend.  No restrictions.  No recommendations for social distancing.  No guidance from the Center for Disease Control (the administration took the "houses of worship" section out of the published CDC recommendations).  And no apparent awareness that religious gatherings are perfect super-spreader events. Super-Spreaders.  That's when one Coronavirus-infected person shares the virus with several (or many) others.   It happened at a choir practice in Washington state.  One infected person managed to infect 53 o...