Orchard
Harvester
NEWSLETTER OF ORCHARD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Love in the Midst of it All...
H ow I miss
you so
much and long
to see you in
person again
soon. These
days of isolation
are certainly
trying on our
faith. Fear and
anxiety are
natural responses to the uncertainty
of these days and the toll of COVID-
19. We turn to our faith in God to get
us through remembering that we
worship a God who promises to
always be with us. From the gift of
the birth of Immanuel, to his post-
resurrection appearance when he
said to his disciples, “Remember I
will be with you always” (Matthew
28:20), we can find hope and
assurance knowing that Christ is with
us.
Does that mean that it will be easy?
No. Does it mean that we don’t have
to follow the distancing rules? No. It
means that when we feel we are
alone, we are not. When we feel
afraid, we can find strength. When
we are worried and uncertain, we can
find hope. I see God through all of
you — your encouraging words to
one another and to me. I see God in
APRIL 2020
30450 Farmington Road
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
those who are making masks for
hospitals, those who are donating to
our mission partners, those who are
“Grace, mercy, and peace from God
the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
checking in on their neighbors. I also I am grateful to God—whom I
see God in our willingness to stay worship with a clear conscience, as
home that we might protect the most my ancestors did—when I remember
vulnerable among us and support our you constantly in my prayers night
health care workers. It really is a big and day. Recalling your tears, I long
act of love. to see you so that I may be filled
with joy. I am reminded of your
As we grow closer to Easter, I am sad
sincere faith…”
that I won’t be able to celebrate in
2 Timothy 2b-5a
person with you. We will still offer
online worship for Palm Sunday,
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and
Easter Sunday. They won’t be the
same, I know. However, when we
The one thing I know for sure is
return to worship in person together,
that we do celebrate a God of
we will celebrate Resurrection. We will
Resurrection. We will rise from
have an Easter message and Easter
this. God who rose Jesus from the
music. We will celebrate the God of
dead will give us new life. Never
New Life as we emerge from our
forget that the God in whom we
tombs of quarantine.
trust promises grace in the midst
It is a very fluid time. Many things we of struggle, hope in the midst of
have scheduled will need to be fear, and love in the midst of it all.
postponed. We are working on all of I love you, I miss you, and I can’t
that day by day with all of the new wait to see you and celebrate the
information we are receiving. Please God of Resurrection together.
stay in touch through email and feel
Faithfully,
free to call me on my cell if you have
questions, or just want to talk. If I’m
unable to answer at the time I will
return your call.

H ow many times have you said, “wouldn’t that be so
fun… if I only had time”? I have always been a
believer that time is our most valuable non-renewable
resource. Well, your entire calendar of events just got
cleared out. For those of you who have critical jobs
(and many working extra shifts) from the bottom of my
heart, there are no words to express my gratitude. For
those of you at home who are now finding extra time
on your hands, I am right there with you. I am an
extrovert and my boys (ages 10, 6, and 5) are involved
in a number of activities. Much like Linda, I do not have
an ‘idle’ setting. I do enjoy quiet activities like reading
and crafting but find especially now that keeping my
mind occupied and not scrolling through news stories is
better for my mental health. For those of you who can
relate, below are 5 suggestions you might want to
check out!
I look forward to hearing stories on your in-home
adventures!
Colleen Aben, Director of Children’s Ministries
McHarper Manor – Daily Online Art Lessons
Art is NOT my gift. Even drawing stick figures can be
a challenge, but I CAN follow directions.
McHarper Manor is a studio in Ohio doing daily online
lessons. The lessons are typically 45min-1hr
although you can go at your own pace.
Geocaching for nature lovers
In this time of social distancing, you do not have to
be confined to your home. Try going for a walk…
with a twist. My crew and I tried Geocaching last
week. (You can also research something similar
called Letter Boxing.) We downloaded an app, chose
a large size geocache near us and followed the arrow
to an area where the cache was hidden. These are
often off the trail and if you find a noticeable marker,
the cache is likely near that area hidden.
Chat Apps & Game time
Even if you live alone, you can click here to find
ways to connect with loved ones on video. But
what can you do with them? Here are just a few
ideas:
Bingo Scavenger Hunt Origami
Hangman Mad Libs 20 Questions
Charades Dance Party
Free Museum Tours
What’s better than going to a really cool museum?
Going to one on your couch in your pjs with all the
free snacks you could want. Travel abroad to Asia
and Europe, or DC for FREE – your pick.
Duo Lingo and Babbel – Language Apps
¿Habla ingles? Parle anglaise? What better time to
learn a new language! Duo Lingo is a free app you
can download on a smart device or use on the
computer. Babble is also offering three months free
right now for students.
Surviving Survival Mode
by Tracey Huber, Coordinator of Early Childhood Education
T here is so much I could write as a Mom who’s been
home with her kids for most of their lives. Of course,
most of it would be irrelevant, because NONE of this is
normal. That bears repeating. “Normal” does not exist –
not for you who are suddenly home trying to balance your
professional lives with family life with academic
responsibility, and not for those who are used to kids
being in school, and not for those who have chosen to
homeschool. So, throw all the “normal” expectations out
the window – these are “extra”-ordinary times. “Extra”
means certain measures are necessary. Here are a few
that come to mind.
1. Grace, Grace, Grace. For
you, for your kids, for your
partner. We are all somewhere in
the grief process right now.
Extend grace to yourself. You will
make mistakes and that’s okay.
You will fall short of your ideals.
The faster you can stop the voice
in your head reminding you that
you’re not living up to Pinterest
ideals, the better. Instead,
practice talking to yourself like
you would your very best friend.
Also, practice accepting grace
from others when you apologize
for making mistakes.
2. The Oxygen Mask. Put yours on first. Find a few
things each day that you need to maintain composure
and/or sanity. Bonus points if you can also find something
that feeds your soul. Your oxygen mask might mean a
daily, non-negotiable shower, or exercise, or time
outside, or an hour without hearing children’s voices or
being interrupted. It could mean extra phone or FaceTime
chats or talking to a friend face-to-face from a safe
distance. Also, if you’re like me and don’t know you need
any of these things until your inner volcano is just about
ready to blow, ask your partner and/or friends to remind
you to get these things.
3. Relationship First – Always. Veteran teachers will
tell you that once they have established a relationship
with their students, teaching them is no problem. As you
try to keep up with some academic work at home, the
relationship with your child(ren) is the most important
thing. Spend time building relationships and memories –
laughing, playing, baking, wondering about the world
together, painting, whatever. The most important things
for your kids to learn during this time is that you love
them and value them above all else, that you are big
enough for their big feelings, that even though everything
is suddenly different, you trust God’s love and grace for
all of you to get through this. To be able to do this, #s 1
and 2 are very important.
There’s a Facebook meme reminding us that our kids
could remember this “extraordinary” and “abnormal” time
as one of the best times in their childhood. Let’s do our
best to make that happen.
What a Year This Week Has Been!
Pause, Listen, Think, Pray, Go

H ave you seen the

Facebook meme being
shared that says something
along the lines of “What a
year this week has
been!”? When I initially saw
it last week, I chuckled, and
continued scrolling down the
page. It was a good quick
laugh that didn’t make me
think too deep, was topical,
and was brimming with
truth.
Over the past two or three
days, that saying has
continued to float in my head
as I began to realize the
significance of that
statement. This last week
has really seemed like a
year. We feel the emotional
burden as we wrestle with
anxiety, we feel the physical
burden as we try to discover
creative ways to stay active
in our homes, and we feel
the spiritual burden as we
are choosing to stay and
download it. Each day there
are five actions to take—
“Pause, Listen, Think, Pray,
worship from our homes and Go.” Each action has
rather than the church. All of different components that I
these things make this week believe will make this year
(now these past two weeks) transform back into weeks.
feel like a year! Certainly, D365 isn’t the only
devotional out there — so
The question then becomes:
When will this end? The explore. Find something that
addresses where you’re at in
reality is none of us know.
Each day brings a new your faith walk and helps
you get through the days
development, and new
guidelines to follow. ahead.
What are ways we can make
this “year” more
Pastor Nick
bearable? One is to focus on
your spiritual health. There
are various good devotionals
online that can help you.
One I use everyday on my
phone is an app called
“D365.” I encourage you to

Stay in Touch
6 to 8 feet apart, please!
Physical Distancing does not have to mean total social
distancing. With that in mind, I have compiled some resources
you can use to stay in touch with loved ones through digital
means. NOTE: I have not included platforms such as Apple
Facetime, which require all participants to have an Apple
product. Click on the links in the parenthesis below:
Skype (skype.com)
Free videoconferencing application. Ability to support up to 10
-way calling. Must download software to use.
Zoom (Zoom.us)
Offers a free account, which has waived 40-minute time limit
during the pandemic. Ability to support up to 100 people at a
time. Only “host” must download software. Others simply click
on the link that host would send. Ability for others to call in if Do you have other resources you have
no access to technology. found that work well? Please send them
Google Duo (Duo.google.com) to Pastor Nick so we can share them
Free videoconferencing application. Ability to support up to 8- with the rest of the congregation!
way calling. Must download software to use.
Facebook Video Messenger (Facebook.com)
Free videoconferencing through website. Ability to support up Stay in Touch with Orchard
to 8-way calling. Requires a Facebook account in order to use
feature. • Visit us on Facebook
Webex (Webex.com)
• Watch daily and Sunday worship
Free videoconferencing application. 40 minute time limit for on YouTube
free account. Ability to support up to 100 people at a • Visit the Orchard website
time. Only “host” must download software. Others simply click • Send us a prayer request
on link host would send. Ability for others to call in if no
access to technology.
 Now the Lord’s spirit had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. Saul’s servants said to him,
“Look, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. If our master just says the word, your servants will search for someone who
knows how to play the lyre. The musician can play whenever the evil spirit from God is affecting you, and then you’ll feel
better.” Saul said to his servants, “Find me a good musician and bring him to me.”
One of the servants responded, “I know that one of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a good musician. He’s a strong man and
heroic, a warrior who speaks well and is good-looking too. The Lord is with him.” So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say,
“Send me your son David, the one who keeps the sheep.”
Jesse then took a donkey and loaded it with a homer of bread, a jar of wine, and a young goat, and he sent it along with his
son David to Saul. That is how David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked David very much, and David became
his armor-bearer. Saul sent a message to Jesse: “Please allow David to remain in my service because I am pleased with him.”
Whenever the evil spirit from God affected Saul, David would take the lyre and play it. Then Saul would relax and feel better,
and the evil spirit would leave him alone.
1 Samuel 16:14-23 Common English Bible (CEB)

Grand Pause
by Jantz Black, Director of Music Ministries

I n music, we have at least four general types of

pauses: breath marks, fermatas, caesura, and the
grand pause (or general pause). Abbreviated G.P., the
Even in the time of Saul and David we see the power of
music to chase away “evil spirits.” Music is innately
human, appearing in every place and every time humans
grand pause is placed over a measure of music that is appear in endless variety and variation. We can be
completely empty—except for a whole rest. In this inspired by it, encouraged, empowered, energized, or
instance, the musician or musicians would play up to the unified. Music can also let us share and explore our
G.P., and then stop. The length of the pause is deepest woes, cares, concerns, and fears. During this
determined by the performer or the conductor/leader of time while our corporate music-making and rehearsing
the ensemble. Getting the length of these pauses “right” may have come to a halt, I would encourage you to seek
is a matter of instinct, timing, and sensing the moment your inner David. Find the music for yourself (and
at hand. If it’s too short, the weight of the pause is lost. maybe within yourself) that helps you combat the
If it’s too long, the musical anticipation dwindles and the darkness you may feel. There is more music online than
sense of continuity from one musical thought to the next could ever be watched or listened
can break. to in a lifetime. I encourage you to
seek it out, let it speak to you, and
And this is where we find ourselves today. We are in that to not be afraid of this grand
grand pause moment. Not only that, but this is a sudden pause.
G.P., a subito G.P. if there is such a thing. Choirs were
rehearsing. Music had been chosen. Plans had been I doubt that Simon and Garfunkle
made. Weekly worship was ebbing and flowing as were singing about Jesus when
expected. And in less than just a few days, we found they wrote these words below, but
ourselves in the midst of social distancing and shelter-in- sometimes God sends us his light
place. through a million cracks in
humanity’s artistic yearning. Let us
I think what makes it so hard in this moment is that lean on that bridge over troubled
none of us have the next page in the music. It’s as waters, as we journey toward the
though the composer is in another room, furiously other side.
scribbling out more measures and copying parts while
we sit on the stage and wait. The people next to us don’t When you're weary, feeling small
have the next page. The conductor stares blankly from When tears are in your eyes
the podium unsure when the music will arrive.
I'll dry them all
When will “regular” worship continue? Rehearsals? I'm on your side,
Dining out? Movies? Sports events? When will we go oh, when times get rough
back to normal—if that ever happens completely?
And friends just can't be found
In this time of isolation we also seem to be surrounded. Like a bridge over troubled water
Music and musicians are everywhere. The internet and I will lay me down
technology can bring virtually any choir, worship band,
or singer--past or present--right into our living room or Like a bridge over troubled water
even the phone in our hand. We are simultaneously I will lay me down
separated from our fellow music makers and yet
immediately connected to thousands more.
Silver Lining
by Deanna Kohl, Church Secretary
I think it’s fair to say I’ve encountered a few bumps in
the road during my lifetime… I’ve survived severe
post-partum depression, a battle with cancer riddled
with surgical complications, and an unexpected 90
consecutive day hospitalization during my second
pregnancy, to name a few. Sometimes I feel like my life
has been a series of exercises designed to prepare me
for whatever curve ball might be around the corner.
These exercises have taught
me 1) the importance of
prayer and faith, 2) to
appreciate the people I am
blessed to have in my life,
and 3) to ALWAYS find the
silver lining in any situation.
In the middle of our current
unimaginable crisis, I am
setting my focus on the silver
linings and trusting God to
carry us through.
Steve and I planned to spend
the month of March in our
Florida home near my family helping out with whatever
sorts of things my mom and step-dad might need. We
purchased this home in anticipation of retirement and
since my sister had been recently divorced and needed a
place to live, it made perfect sense for her to live in it
until we were in a position to spend winters in Florida.
We had also planned to fly from Florida to Little Cayman
Island for a week of SCUBA diving to celebrate Steve’s
birthday.
The plan was going quite smoothly until the day before
we were to depart for Little Cayman. My mom’s
retirement community went on a full “nobody comes in”
lock-down and our daughter, Audrey, called to say that
the University of Michigan had moved to all online
classes. We decided it would be best for Audrey to fly to
Florida since we had run our Michigan house down to no
food or extra supplies and shut off the heat and water in
anticipation of being gone for a month. We contacted the
airlines and resort to check the status of our diving trip
and were told “no worries,” everything was going as
planned. So, Audrey flew in and set up in the home
office for attending online college while Steve and I flew
to Little Cayman.
The next day, it became quite apparent that New York
City was not a safe place to be. We contacted our
daughter, Allison, (who lives and works in Manhattan)
and we all agreed it would be best for her to join her
sister in Florida where they could quarantine together
with our eight month old Golden Retriever, Walter.
Meanwhile, on our third day on Little Cayman Island, all
guests at our dive resort were called to a meeting where
we were told that the Cayman government had
mandated all non-residents were to leave the island
immediately. A somewhat mad scramble ensued for
flights off the island on tiny planes that only seat 10
people at time and connections into the US required an
overnight stay on an island full of hotels that were not
taking reservations. Steve and I were able to get a flight
out the next day and, thanks to the very helpful dive
resort management, we were able to secure a room for
the night before flying back to Florida.
Here we are now… sort of stuck in quarantine in Bonita
Springs, Florida. We are all very cognizant of the
exposure risk we each carry, having flown across the
country and out/in of the US so we have remained in our
home, leaving only for walks or bike rides. My sister,
who works in a shelter for victims of human trafficking
and is considered an “essential employee,” has been
stopping at the grocery store on her way home from
work.
When life gets difficult or scary, I’ve always found
comfort in being at HOME, surrounded by friends and the
familiarity of my daily routine and all the usual sights,
sounds, and smells. As the church secretary at Orchard,
and a singer in the band and choir, I spend a significant
amount of time at my church home with my church
family. It’s very difficult to be away from HOME while the
world seems to be crumbling to pieces and it’s especially
scary that our son, Rob, (a firefighter/paramedic) and
his fiancé, Ashley, (an RN working in an emergency
room) are on the front-line back in Michigan.
It would be easy to let my mind go to dark places. Very
easy. When I started writing this article, I was going to
list all the scary thoughts that were in my head but I
realized that I was going down a path of dark thoughts
and I am choosing to not walk down that path. I choose
to pray for God to heal those who are sick, to protect
those who are healthy, and to comfort those who are
suffering, and I choose to have faith that God will hold
my hand as he ALWAYS has and not let go. I choose to
be grateful that I am not alone – that I am blessed to be
with my husband, daughters, sister, and puppy, and
near my mom, step-dad, niece, and nephew. I choose to
be thankful that I can visually connect with my co-
workers and friends through technology. And I choose to
look for every silver lining I can find.
Fear Greater Than My Faith
By Linda Hall, Church Administrator

Wait—that’s not how it goes, is it? It’s “fear is greater than my faith.” No—I still don’t think that’s right. But
that’s how it has felt for me the last week or so. And I don’t like it. Not one bit.
You see, every time I do a spiritual gifts inventory or take a standardized personality assessment, faith (or
whatever informs faith in the initials or colors or names) pretty much comes out as the top gift or strength.
Faith. That thing, that feeling, that permeates my life with knowing that something—some One—bigger, more
powerful, omnipotent, and mighty is handling things outside of my control and will see me through to the other
end of whatever I’m going through. Faith.
And now I have fear. Fear. Those irrational thoughts that swirl around in my head and get down to my heart
and cause me to tremble. Fear that things will never be the same—that someone in my family will be stricken
by this virus, that they will get ill, that they will die. Will I get it? Fear that has caused
me not only to tremble, but to wash my hands until they’re almost bleeding, and
putting hand sanitizer on every time I think that I might have come in contact with an
airborne particulate from an uncovered sneeze or cough, from a gas station pump or a
delivered grocery bag, even maybe from an article of clothing that has entered the
house because my husband is still working in a grocery store. Fear. Irrational. Swirling.
Out of control. Feeling bigger—way bigger—than my faith.
That’s what happens when I think there might be something *I* can do to make this
thing stop. That by spending inordinate amounts of time on news articles and social
media clicks—looking for the latest statistics in the latest areas, for signs of the virus,
for how to take precautionary measures—that I can somehow Make. It. Stop. This is
what happens when my eyes and thoughts are not looking toward where my faith
typically points me. When my heart strays from the God who promises to be with me.
When my fear is greater than my faith.
Do you think that’s what the disciples and Jesus’ friends, family, and followers felt when
he was crucified?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble…
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
This song strikes a chord with me in its plaintive cry of “were you there,” causing me to think about, to feel, the
fear that must have shaken their faith to their very bones. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side? Were you there when the sun refused to shine? Were you
there when they laid him in the tomb? Were you there? Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble. And oh, how
they must have trembled in the fear that they could do nothing to stop what was happening, that they did not
know what the other end of this time they were in would look like. Fear that things would never be the same.
And then I remember the last verse my acapella group used to sing when we performed this song after Easter.
“Were you there when he rose up from the grave?” we’d sing triumphantly, with voices raised and eyes lifted
up and hearts wide open. Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble… were you there when he
rose up from the grave? Hallelujah! I know the end of the story and it alleviates my fears. And things will never
be the same.
Today the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and my eyes are lifted to the One who rose up from the grave,
giving me hope, walking with me through the storms of life, being bigger than any of my fears could possibly
be. Today I feel almost normal. Today I feel – no, I know – that my faith is greater than my fear because of the
One to whom my faith points.

Yeah, that’s it—that’s right.

 Click on this graphic—a shared
photo album on Google drive
should open.

Although we may be physically distanced from one another, we can stay spiritually connected through
several ways.
Weekday Worship Experiences at Noon—We are doing live weekday worship experiences from our
individual homes. These can be viewed on either the Orchard Facebook page or on our YouTube
channel.
Sunday Worship Service—We will be pre-recording one Sunday worship service a week. By pre-recording,
we can include worship elements from several contributors to bring a fuller worship experience to you in your
homes. The videos will be scheduled for 10 am on Sunday mornings. These all will be available on the
Orchard YouTube channel and on the Orchard Facebook page.
Virtual Coffee Hour — On Sundays, you’ll find a link on the Facebook page to join a virtual coffee hour
through a Zoom link. These will be at 11 am—to join just click the link in the comments on the Facebook
page and follow the directions to connect with Zoom (if you don’t already have it on your devices). While we
can’t be together in-person, we can connect online. We hope to see you there!

Click on this graphic—the

YouTube video should open
Mission Opportunities
How we can still be the hands and feet of Christ in this time of physical distancing
Be a Virtual Walker for CROP!
In this time of uncertainty in the world, when we’re
not sure when things will again be normal, we
know one thing: We are certain that the need to
fund hunger programs, both at home and
worldwide, will be greater than ever. We are not
giving up or giving in on providing for that need—
we are just getting more creative.
The Farmington/Farmington Hills/West Bloomfield
CROP Hunger Walk is moving virtual for 2020! Walk
with us (even though we're walking apart) and
raise vital funds for our most vulnerable neighbors.
We are asking you to consider becoming a Virtual
Walker for CROP. This allows for even greater
participation, and the benefit for you of setting
your own course and time to walk.
You still need to register and can do so by logging
onto www.crophungerwalk.org/FarmingtonMI and
look for Team Orchard UMC. You can customize
your own profile page which can then be used to
access your email contacts or Facebook page to
invite friends and family to sponsor you. If you are
unable to walk, please click on Donate and then
choose a Walker or Team
(Orchard UMC).
If you’re doing the walk in your
neighborhood, consider taking a
short video and posting it on the
Farmington/Farmington Hills/
West Bloomfield CROP Hunger
Walk Facebook page.
Give online. God has blessed us with so
many gifts that we return a portion to
God with grateful hearts, knowing that
God will inspire us to use them to be a
blessing in God’s name. Click the button
below to go to our online giving portal to
find out how to continue supporting
Orchard through secure online links, text,
and mobile apps.
Online Giving
Facial Masks
Needed for Local Hospital and Cass Community Social
Services
Local hospitals and homeless shelters are in need of
facial masks. We donated 16 masks (thanks to
Brenda Schultz) on Sunday evening and all 16 were
handed out on Monday.
What you can do
• If you can sew and have a sewing machine,
make some masks. Pattern can be found here.
• We need 1/8” or 1/4” elastic for the masks. We
can use girls thin, elastic headbands. Look
around your house and see if you have any to
donate.
To donate masks or elastic, contact Kelly Sheckell
(click for email) or phone her at 248.808.8855. She
will arrange to pick up items from your front
porch.
Others Ways to Help
There is much need in the area for donations—to
restock food pantries, provide monetary assistance,
or to volunteer at these agencies. Click on the links
below to see how you might be able to help.
South Oakland Shelter/Lighthouse
C.A.R.E.S. of Farmington Hills
Cass Community Social Services—click for a link to
their page for ongoing needs. To make a monetary
donation to Cass, click here.
Spring Fundraiser
O ur annual flower sale is on! A variety of beautiful flowers,
including hanging baskets, patio pots, and flats, are being
offered. Proceeds from this sale will help fund family events in
the year ahead so that every child can know the joy of Jesus
here at Orchard!
Click here to get the online Order Form. Flower forms will only
be collected by electronic means. Payment will not be due until
we’re sure flowers will be delivered. Orders are due by April 30
and should be delivered in time for Mother’s Day! Start your
garden shopping now!