Posts Tagged: "Coronavirus"

I told her to put on some good music and turn it up loud.

Brian Dolleman - April 14, 2020 - Life With God, Uncategorized

Thankful Notes (#240)

A young woman in our church has been volunteering quite a bit lately because the restaurant she works at is temporarily closed due to the pandemic. Today she arrived first thing in the morning and spent hours and hours into the afternoon organizing our Food Bank and putting together bags of groceries.

There’s a local writer who I enjoy following on Twitter… today she said:

“One thing you learn about in crisis is who cares about just themselves and who cares for others.

It’s interesting to see who leverages petty grievances to generate outrage, versus the holy multitude shopping for the elderly, sewing masks, operating food banks, working overtime, cooking free meals, volunteering for spiritual support, donating blood, working on start-up projects, coordinating shop local campaigns, feeding medical staff, funding grants, reducing rent, etc.

I’ve watched a church distributing Amazon Fresh donations to hundreds of low-income families this week. An unemployed friend donating food and PPE supplies to seniors. Meals delivered to a nurse. Lunch for a man with no family. Groceries sent to a home after a virus death.

Daily I’m amazed to see such acts of generosity and service, everywhere.”

I agree. Pressure reveals what’s really inside us.

And I am so thankful for those who are stepping up and offering themselves and their resources to make life a little better for others.

This past weekend, between the… Read More

NWLife Weekly Conversation—Easter

Brian Dolleman - April 12, 2020 - Life With God, Uncategorized, Video

Here is our fifth video NWLife podcast featuring our weekly conversation.

Today’s theme: Easter

Easter is the great reversal, the surprise of hope, the impossible made possible. Desmond Tutu said, “Good is stronger than evil, love is stronger than hate, light is stronger than darkness, life is stronger than death. Victory is ours, through him who loves us.”

In today’s podcast, little Kainoa shares the Easter story in his own words, our band opens with Coldplay’s Broken in the church lobby, Shannel reads John chapter 20 out in nature at sunrise, our teaching team members have a conversation about what Easter means, and our band leads Living Hope from the stage.

The cross is the eternal expression of the length to which God will go in order to restore broken community. —Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

<a href="http://www.vimeo.com/406543004">http://www.vimeo.com/406543004</a>

So that the world may be made Easter new, without greedy lack, but only wonder

Brian Dolleman - April 11, 2020 - Life With God, Uncategorized

Thankful Notes (#237)

This was a good day. Maybe not a typical Saturday, but still… good. My dad has been in his new house next door for two nights now and we are in the beginning stages of establishing a new rhythm.

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, and, of course it will be different.

I’m not 100% OK with that, but then again, I have no power to change these things. I am proud of what our church is doing. Years and years ago, I remember hearing Pastor Tommy Barnett talking about, “When you poke something, what does it bleed?”

Our church bleeds serving and giving… and something about that reminds me of Jesus.

We will have our Drive-Thru Food Bank tomorrow at 10am and 5pm. Groceries and toiletries and Easter baskets for kids will be handed out to anyone who comes through. And I know a good number of our church family will stop by with donations.

We also have a special Easter edition of our NWLife Weekly Conversation Video Podcast featuring some beautiful music performed by our band, and an Easter story summary told by one of our own kids—Kainoa, and an outdoor sunrise reading of John chapter 20 by Shannel, and a conversation among the teaching team about what Easter means to us.

While my heart longs for a different kind of Easter Sunday, it is also at peace and fully satisfied with what we have managed to do as a church in these strange times.

I hope you will join us, either in person or online, tomorrow for the most unique Easter of our lifetime.

An Easter Prayer by… Read More

Church in the church parking lot. And don’t poop in your underpants!

Brian Dolleman - April 6, 2020 - Life With God, Uncategorized

Thankful Notes (#231)

It was supposed to be our annual Kid’s Spring Sing at church today.

And last week was supposed to be our annual Miracle Offering for new outreach projects.

And next week was supposed to be Easter Sunday with Krispy Kreme donuts for everyone and an Easter egg dash for all the kids.

But here we are, in a global pandemic.

We are on pause. We are on hold. We are a little bit locked down.

Of course, we’re not in a complete lock down. And for that I am thankful.

I’m grateful for the things we can still do. We can still operate our food bank. We can still work together following the social distancing measures.

This morning a small team of staff and some volunteers worked our Drive-Thru Food Bank. It was pretty busy today. In fact, it was so busy, Grant (who works at Costco) said he felt like he worked harder at the Drive-Thru Food Bank today than he did at Costco yesterday.

We went through a lot of groceries and toiletries and kid’s activity packs.

Someone came through and told us they weren’t… Read More

NWLife Weekly Conversation – In This Together

Brian Dolleman - March 15, 2020 - Life With God, Video

He has shown you what is good and told you what he requires of you: To act with justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. —Micah 6.8

For the next so many weeks, as we suspend having in-person services during the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be offering a weekly conversation in the form of a video podcast.

This first one is a conversation between… Read More