The Message of Hope in a Time of Pandemic by Senior Bishop Lawrence Reddick

Dear CME Family:

As often as I have seen the beginning of that favored Christmas movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” it wasn’t until last night (Christmas Eve) that I put together the year the angel’s (Clarence) views of George Bailey’s life began – 1918 – and the significance of that year to the telegram young George read on the counter of his employer, Mr. Gower. The telegram told his employer (Mr. Gower) that his son had died of influenza.

1918. It was the time the “flu epidemic” was ravaging the nation. It killed more than 650,000 thousand persons in the United States, and an estimated 50 million across the world. Forward to 2020. The present COVID-19 pandemic, still raging, has killed more than 329,000 in the nation, and more than 1.7 million worldwide.

So, back to the movie’s scene. Imagine this irony: the “druggist” who was taking care of others with his prescriptions had lost his own son to the epidemic for which there were no vaccines! For the first time last night, I got that point! So, 12-year-old George Bailey, knowing his boss had made an innocent mistake in his moments of inexplicable grief, saved someone else from a faulty prescription that might have ended in death.

Today, many of us are witnesses to many persons’ critical needs for hope. Someone in a hospital bed is using a ventilator, hoping. Someone is grieving great loss because of death. Someone is struggling, not knowing how long the family’s food will last. Another is in an ambiguous place, debating whether to confront the abuse and leave or to suffer quietly. Someone else is overwhelmed with guilt from failings of the past.

Most of us have been or are in more than one of those places. We know the need of a Savior: One to make us whole, One to heal our wounds, One to move us forward. Listen: “ … a Savior has been born to you …(Luke 2:11, NIV).

Many of us have discovered the role of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God and Son of Man, birthed in Bethlehem. Jesus has posited in us the love and mercy, the mirror and image of God – that we might see our hope in God, and that we may see the hope God brings reflected in and for our own lives.

No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow, Far as the curse is found

Amidst this time of great sufferings, let us live in the hope Jesus brings!

Senior Bishop Lawrence Reddick

Witness to Grace: A Testimony of Favor

Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson just released a new book, Witness to Grace: A Testimony of Favor, about the extraordinary grace of God. The book isa poignant memoir – a story of resilience, strength, and determination and a testament of his remarkable life’s journey as a renowned religious leader and Civil Rights advocate. If ever there was a time when we need to be reminded of God’s grace, it’s now.

Order a copy of “Witness to Grace” on Cyber Monday, November 30, 2020! Also,

purchase another copy to give to a friend to help achieve the goal of supporting historically

Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). 10% of the Cyber Monday sales will be donated to

Dr. Richardson’s alma mater, Virginia Union University, and the United Negro College Fund

for HBCUs. Dr. Richardson writes about the importance of supporting HBCUs in his book

and backs it up with this project.

In addition to supporting HBCUs, we can help Dr. Richardson achieve best-seller status on

Amazon and other best-seller lists. It has come to my attention that there are simply not

enough African American authors, and religious and social justice leaders represented on

the major best-seller lists. In order to accomplish this, an author needs to sell thousands of

copies during a concentrated period of time, like Cyber Monday. Our church believes now is

a critical moment in time when we can begin to change this. We believe in Dr. Richardson’s

message of equality and hope and he has certainly written a book that is worthy of this

status. Let’s come together to make this a reality.

If you have ever questioned the value of your purpose, the significance of your future, and

your capacity to overcome obstacles, Witness to Grace is a must-read. To learn more, visit

www.witnesstograce.org.

CME CED Church School VIRTUAL Lesson

Dr. Carmichael Crutchfield, General Secretary

CME CED Church School VIRTUAL Lesson Available for 11/29/2020

View on the CME Department of Christian Education & Formation YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/80kiWGVPChA

Click here to download the Lesson Outline

We are pleased to share with you the success of last week's Virtual Sunday School as published by the CME Department of Christian Education & Formation. The CME CED Church School YouTube Channel Videos have been viewed over 15,000 times since we created the YouTube Channel on March 20, 2020. As committed, we offer to you this week's Virtual Sunday School Lesson, "Sharing Love in Truth" with Dr. Carmichael D. Crutchfield, CME General Secretary as its instructor. We also welcome Mrs.Emma Reagor, Director of Christian Education and Formation, 9th Episcopal District who offers this week's prayer The video includes music, scripture, lecture, challenge, and application. It may be utilized in concert with your existing Sunday School or in substitution given the personal distancing parameters we are experiencing. For example, this video might be viewed by members in your congregations with a conference call held during the regular Sunday School period to offer facilitated discussion and review. There are CME Certified Christian Educators across the Episcopal Districts ready to offer assistance and creative solutions in concert with what we have done and are doing. Even during this crisis, we must be concerned about the spiritual needs of our congregations in addition to their physical and health needs. We welcome your feedback as we seek to expand the resources from the Department of Christian Education & Formation.

Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to those who have been affected by this unprecedented event affecting the world today. We especially appreciate the healthcare workers, local communities and government entities around the country who are working tirelessly to contain COVID-19.

Feel free to forward this email to anyone in your Sunday School circle. They may subscribe directly to this announcement by sending an email to sundayschool@thecmechurchced.org . Remember our MISSION Formula: Formation + Nurture + Leadership = MISSION Our goal is to make disciples through "events that form and transform."