BUG-EYED

If someone were to describe you as being “bug-eyed,” it would probably mean your face is reflecting surprise! Astonishment! Wonderment! It would mean your eyes are wide open with amazement, practically popping from your head as if you were an animated cartoon character, exuberantly impressed by what you’re seeing.

This past week I was bug-eyed, but in a more literal sort of way. My bug-eyed moment resulted in a trip to Express Care. It went down like this: When I awoke very early on Thursday morning, I could not open my left eye. In fact, the whole left side of my face was plump and puffy, rather like an oversized pink marshmallow. Alarmed, my good husband made a pre-dawn run to the store to snap up some Benadryl, but its effects were minimal, so we opted to seek out a professional opinion. I was quickly diagnosed with blepharitis , a condition which sounded instantly ominous. I began to mentally update my last will and testament as the physician assistant charted some notes.

She said, “I’ve been seeing a lot of this lately. Were you, by chance, recently spending time outdoors?” I had, in fact, been planting tulip bulbs in the parsonage yard the day before. “Did you notice if there were any gnats flying around?” Were there ever! Clouds and clouds of the tiny beasts. “There’s your problem,” she said. I had been bitten on the inside of my eyelid by a gnat!

Some more Benadryl, a few Zyrtec capsules and a couple of doses of steroids later, the swelling is gone and I can see again! Amen! (By the way, if you’re beefing up your medical vocabulary, blepharitis simply means “inflammation of the eyelid.”)

While I’m no longer bug-eyed in the literal sense, there are plenty of reasons to be figuratively bug-eyed, and to give thanks for all that is remarkable around me: people who care and are eager to help; health insurance provided by my employer and funded by the steady giving of my beloved congregation; access to excellent health care providers; easy availability of OTC and prescription medications; a car and devoted driver; a visiting adult child with the capacity to make me smile; cool running water and soft washcloths for compresses; Earl Grey tea and cinnamon toast for comfort…and the promise that this absurd episode will conclude with colorful spring blossoms!

What makes you bug-eyed? What astounds you, even if the lesson is born out of difficulty? With Thanksgiving approaching, perhaps you are being especially mindful about gratitude. But in a year that has been extraordinarily difficult for so many reasons, perhaps it is necessary to work a little harder at coming up with lists of blessings. Please be encouraged to see more than might be obvious, to look beyond what might be easily apparent. Be flabbergasted by the details and try to identify where God’s goodness shines through. Recognize what is ridiculous, and let the story play out. Laugh, if at all possible!

This is God’s work. We rub our eyes—we can hardly believe it ! Psalm 118:23 (The Message)

Perpetually Bug-Eyed,

Pastor Chris

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November 15, Holy Communion

Join us in the parking lot of College Hill Moravian Church every Sunday morning where you may praise God from the safe bubble of your own vehicle. The service, broadcast from the church sanctuary and transmitted through your car’s radio, begins at 10:00 a.m. and lasts approximately 40 minutes. Attendants are on hand to make sure you have worship materials, receive your offerings, and help you find the best place to park. Smile and wave and worship!

Virtual Fellowship Time on Zoom – Sundays at 11:30 a.m.

This casual online gathering has taken root over the last few months and become a wonderful way to keep connected. Whether you’ve become a “regular” at these gatherings, or you’re thinking about dropping by for the very first time, please use the Zoom link and password provided below, or join by phone if you do not use a device with a screen.

And if Zoom is new to you and you’d like to be coached on how to get started, please email me at  moravianpastorchris@gmail.com  or call me at 484-894-9077.

To join by computer, tablet or smart phone, please go to:https://zoom.us/j/99831347702?pwd=Vk1VWDk0RkdlUXJacWtCRGEvNFpnZz09

Passcode: 789162

To join by phone (no video), dial:

+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)

Meeting ID: 998 3134 7702  

Zoom Prayers–Sundays at 6:30 p.m.

We are also continuing to offer Zoom Prayers on Sunday evenings at 6:30. We come together to share simply in intercessory prayer on behalf of our congregation, community, and world. We usually conclude by 7:00 p.m. All are welcome! 

To join by computer, tablet, or smart phone, please go to: https://zoom.us/j/91961743369?pwd=S3FYVG1NSFBrb1BoaTl0dnV5ZmNFUT09

Passcode: 073131

To join by phone (no video), dial:

+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)

  Meeting ID: 919 6174 3369