Blog Post by Rev. Dr. Craig M. Howard Presbytery Leader choward@glpby.org On Sunday I enjoyed worshiping online with Trinity Presbyterian church, University City. It was a pleasure saying hello to people as we tuned into the live worship service. The interaction with the online chat during the passing of the peace and as we left the worship service was unique. It was even cool watching people text “hearts” and “thumbs up” as Marilyn Gamm preached. I guess that’s the closest we’ll come to saying “Amen!” Yet, the longer we remain sheltered in place, the more I miss attending worship. Like many ..read more

Blog Post by Rev. Dr. Craig M. Howard Presbytery Leader choward@glpby.org Since Friday, March 13 when the presbytery strongly suggested congregations no longer meet in their buildings, the presbytery and its members have been traveling a road no one asked to be on. A journey that began with significant disruption has been transformed. We have learned to connect with one another as well as support and encourage each other as never before. Congregations have become innovative, creative, and bold in their efforts to worship and remain connectional. Talent has come forward to lead, and churches ha ..read more

Blog Post by Rev. Dr. Craig M. Howard Presbytery Leader choward@glpby.org This week I will be meeting with a small group of presbytery members to develop a plan to reopen our congregations. As we move forward into May, the governors of Illinois and Missouri may allow some congregations to open that are located in counties with low COVID-19 cases. In preparation for this inevitability it may be wise to be pro-active and think through the steps that need to be taken to make sure everyone is safe and kept well as we meet together. As your presbytery leader, I am listening to pastors from across t ..read more

Blog Post by Rev. Dr. Craig M. Howard Presbytery Leader choward@glpby.org In the summer of 1997, two months after Tiger Woods had won the Masters golf tournament by a record 12 strokes, Tiger made a rare and unusual decision. He decided to change his swing. The change wasn’t a random idea or an attempt to bring attention. While others saw perfection, Tiger saw a flaw in his swing that needed a radical correction.   The social effects of COVID 19 has me rethinking my “swing” of faith and theology. I have fresh questions around what it means to be created in God’s image, the tension between ..read more

Blog Post by Rev. Dr. Craig M. Howard Presbytery Leader choward@glpby.org Watch video or read below When the pandemic first occurred, and I knew we would be sheltering in place, I immediately thought of Judah’s captivity and exile in Babylon. The focus of my thought wasn’t so much on the suffering of God’s people who were being subjugated by the Babylonians. Instead, I kept thinking about the resistant journey to an unknown place. Psalm 137 reflects the feeling of loss, fear, intimidation, and longing they felt. By the rivers of Babylon—there we sat down and there we weptwhen we remembered Z ..read more

Blog Post by Rev. Dr. Craig M. Howard Presbytery Leader choward@glpby.org Friends, I have an exciting opportunity for you to learn about and apply for loans under the new CARES program. CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) has contracted with the presbytery to provide an online seminar to all congregations that are interested in this program. This seminar will primarily focus on three items: The Payroll Protection Program, Economic Injury disaster loans, and other general credits available under CARES. If you are considering using the CARES program or are curious about its content and how it relates to th ..read more

Blog Post by Rev. Dr. Craig M. Howard Presbytery Leader choward@glpby.org Click on the arrow, at left, to watch the first VLOG (Video Blog) or continue to read below.  On Sunday, March 29, the president extended the restrictions on social distancing until April 30. Many scientists agree and believe we should not consider removing restrictions until we see evidence of the virus slowing. There appears to be a correlation between large gatherings of people and the presence of COVID 19 weeks later. An example is a church in Seattle that decided to have choir rehearsal. 60 members showe ..read more

Blog Post by Rev. Dr. Craig M. Howard Presbytery Leader choward@glpby.org This morning, I got excited about getting up early to arrive at the local Schnucks to join my other “over 60” population to shop for food between 6 – 7 a.m. I’d seen the videos of people fighting for paper towels and hoarding milk. I imagined this grocery shopping experience would fall somewhere between roller derby and ultimate cage wrestling! I arrived at 5:45 to make sure I would get a good spot in the line, just in case it was snaking around the building. To my surprise there was only one person there, sitting in his ..read more

Blog Post by Rev. Dr. Craig M. Howard Presbytery Leader choward@glpby.org While doing development work for McCormick Seminary, I was deployed and worked remotely from my home in Madison Wisconsin for three years. As many of you are sheltering in place, I thought It would be prudent to talk about ways to be more productive, less frustrated, and maintain work-life balance during these stressful times. With schools closing, and colleges using online courses, many households are full of loving, attention needing, disruptive little and big people! And I’m not even including the dogs and cats! In th ..read more

Blog Post by Rev. Dr. Craig M. Howard Presbytery Leader choward@glpby.org Last weekend I had a difficult conversation with my soon-to-be 90-year-old father about attending worship on Sunday in Chicago. He was determined to do it, and he did. I was disappointed that his pastor held service in a church that seats 3500. I was more disappointed that Dad went anyway, in spite of warnings, calls from his children, and public messages from the government. Just imagining him at the church stressed me out. Afterward, when I had to then try and talk him out of getting on an airplane to go to Florida to ..read more