Welcome to the United Church of Sun City 

This year, I have been amazed at how quickly Lent has passed and now Easter is around the corner. Lent becomes a time to prepare for Easter. Preparing our hearts to make willing sacrifices in some way as we follow Christ and His road to the cross. Even while we share in His suffering, we look forward to His rising and the power of His resurrection. A new life.

Isn’t this the reality of our lives? Often in our lives, we have a season—maybe not just a few days or weeks—
of letting go of things in our lives, of losing someone dear, or letting go of the familiar patterns and routines of our lives. But then we seek a new season, a new life so to speak as we work through our grief.

I was struck by the Sun Health presentation in March about grief. They shared the idea that many of us are in a season of grieving. It may be big things, death of a spouse or child, retiring and losing our “purpose”, or losing our physical health. But we also grieve things that often others may not see as “a big deal” - things like the loss of a pet, a change of address, or the loss of familiar faces in a group like our church. All of these things are losses in our lives.

One of my seasons of grieving was over my marriage. I was married almost 45 years and had planned to be married “til death do us part.” But as my situation changed and it became evident that my partner was more interested in an emotional relationship with others rather than with me, I began to grieve. I realized that I would not have a partner that I could depend on as I grew older. When the time for divorce finally came, I realized there wasn't as much grief as I anticipated as I had been dealing with those emotions for years.

The years were not all bad, I had lots of happy times with family, friends, and even with my husband who became more of a “buddy” than a partner. I had times I focused on work more than on my marriage, relied more on God than I knew I could, and became stronger than I ever dreamed.

As I began to pass through the season of grieving, I had to face the question: What do I want my life to be like now? I had no reason to keep things “the way they were” but what changes did I want in my life? What was I willing to commit to in my life?

One of the choices I made was to become healthier—to lose weight, eat better and exercise more. I have not been perfect in accomplishing that, but I can now see myself as the person I want to be.

Another choice I made was to surround myself with people I could trust with my emotions. A few family members and close friends have become my sounding board and my emotional support so that I feel safe sharing what I am feeling on any given day.

I also want to notice and name the presence of God in the midst of all the ordinary circumstances of a day and to accept the love He has for me just as I am. I want to grow in my journey to know God and to be with others who encourage me and whom I can encourage to do the same.

In this way, I have had the opportunity to be “resurrected” to a new life. But only as I was willing to let go of the hopes and expectations I had and move to a new place in my life. One author described it as being “invited to let go with open hands and to receive with open hands.”

In this season of spring renewal and Easter Resurrection, what is it that you are hanging on to with a tight grasp? What would it take to open your hands and let it go? What gifts of grace will you receive from God as you open your hands to Him?

Our lives are a journey, filled with seasons of love, hope, grief, and sadness. But sharing the journey with others is a great way to navigate the challenges.

Lisa Dunbar, Parish Nurse

Dispelling Some of the Information About the COVID-19 Vaccine

As a Parish Nurse, the pandemic of COVID-19 has certainly brought many challenges in focusing on the health of our congregation. Currently, the challenge is to help our congregation members to understand, to make an educated decision, and to receive the vaccination.

I have found that the first hurdle is in educating our congregation. I have been able to put short articles in the church newsletter, and to send an all-church email that gave information about the vaccine. It focused on dispelling some of the misinformation being disseminated on the web. For instance:

Concerns have been expressed about the vaccine being developed so quickly. Is it safe?
Although we don’t have years of research, the companies developing the vaccines tested it on the usual number of people that they have tested before with any new drug or vaccine. The difference in the timing is because much of the governmental bureaucracy that slows down the process after the test is finished was mitigated. The testing itself was still completed in a manner similar to other vaccines. As with any new treatment, vaccine or drug, there are potential side effects, but for the vast majority of recipients, the benefit far outweighs the risk.

I have heard about people reacting to the vaccine and becoming very ill, or even dying. Is this true? 
As with anything that we put into our body, we run a risk of being allergic to a substance in the medication or vaccine. At times, this may be a severe reaction called anaphylactic shock. In this case, the allergy may cause the body to swell tissues especially of the neck and trachea that may result in shortness of breath, a racing heart, and at its worse, a cardiac arrest. This is the reason that any recipient of the vaccine is required to remain at the site for 30 minutes after the injection as this is the time period where an anaphylactic reaction would take place. Each site is equipped with medical personnel and supplies to deal with this type of allergic reaction.

This happens very, very rarely. The current numbers are 11 reactions like this in 1 million recipients. These reactions may also occur after an influenza vaccination injection at a slightly lower rate. Although very serious for the 11, the 999,989 other recipients had no serious problems. A recipient of the vaccine may commonly have minor symptoms – a sore arm, muscle or joint pain, a low grade fever – similar to symptoms following other vaccinations. These are from an inflammatory response our body produces after a foreign substance has been introduced and usually only lasts 24-48 hours.

I have heard this vaccine may change my DNA. Is that true?
There is nothing in the vaccine to change our DNA. This vaccine is a new technology. In the past, vaccinations have carried in them a weakened amount of virus, which immediately stimulated our bodies to make antibodies to fight off the infection, The new Covid 19 vaccine has no weakened virus in it. Instead, it carries a message to our RNA to watch for an identifying factor on the virus – in this case a “spike” on the virus body. When our body recognizes that factor, it then begins very rapidly producing antibodies to fight the virus.

So a recipient may in fact “have the virus” for a short time before the antibodies are produced. It fights the virus before serious symptoms develop so one does not become ill. But it does raise the question of whether someone who has been vaccinated may still “spread” the virus even though they may have no symptoms. Studies continue to focus on this question. This is why even after vaccination, we may be required to wear masks in public places where social distancing is not possible.

Are fetal cells used in the production of the vaccine?
Fetal cell lines from fetuses in the 1960s and 1970s continue to be used in much of the early testing of many of our vaccines and other drugs. These tissues are registered and reported as the testing takes place. But no recent fetal tissue has been used in developing the Moderna or Pfizer Vaccinations. Other vaccines, notably the one from Johnson and Johnson, do continue to use more recently harvested fetal tissue in their development. There may be other companies as well.

After educating our congregation, the next step has been to identify those who are most vulnerable and require help in registering for the vaccination.

I began to make phone calls on those over 75, and those with chronic illnesses. Many had family or friends who were working with them to register for an appointment and who were willing to transport them to the appointment.

However, some of our congregants did not have access to a computer or were not able to complete the process on their own. I was able to assist them over the phone, at times registering them as my “family members” (after all, we are a church family!). I also helped to arrange transportation for those needing assistance.

Finally, I have continued to follow up with those registering – reminding them to take their ID and insurance card, walking them through the process at the sites, and informing them of the possibility of minor discomfort after that could be treated with Tylenol. I also continue to remind everyone to continue their social distancing precautions, handwashing, and wearing a mask.

Some in our congregation have chosen to wait to receive the vaccine. Some because of concern of long-term effects of the vaccine, others wish to wait for the vaccines with only 1 injection. I continue to share information with them, and to support them as they continue to follow the social distancing precautions and choose to remain limited in their social activities.