“All good things come to an end” is one of those proverbial phrases that has seemingly been around forever. Google says it has possibly been around as long as Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales,” making the phrase itself seem eternal.

The weekly noontime Wednesday Prayer Service at First UMC has, unfortunately, reached a point where it has fulfilled its purpose in our ministry offerings and is no longer needed on a weekly basis. As of January 14th , we are cancelling the service for now. We do, however, plan to offer this service at certain times throughout the year, such as on Ash Wednesday, during Lent, and possibly at other times.

Do you remember when and why we started the Wednesday prayer service? It started on August 19th, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. as an Evening Prayer Gathering on the Grounds. The purpose was to give us an opportunity to safely gather in person with one another for prayer and worship. August 19th was the first time that the people of First UMC had met on church property for worship since the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020.

When Cheryl and I arrived in Lexington in early July 2020, in the midst of the chaos of the pandemic, we joined an ongoing meeting via Zoom with First UMC leaders, who were working very hard to keep the church together. You may remember that in March, First UMC pivoted quickly to online worship under the leadership of John McWhorter, Terri Beck, Ron Leonard, Lee Mabe, and others. By July, the early fear and anxiety caused by the pandemic was replaced with questions about how to maintain organizational practices and move forward safely. Outside gatherings were beginning around the county, and proved to be safe. So, we decided to experiment with an evening

worship service on the lawn under the oak trees.

Around 70 people in masks showed up with lawn chairs for that first outdoor service. The Spirit flowed. The music was good. People visited with friends, from a safe distance, of course. No one seemed like they wanted to leave. We read Psalm 95:1-7, which starts like this:

O come, let us sing to the Lord;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into God’s presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise with songs of praise!

Those were powerful words for us to proclaim together.

The prayer service worked so well outdoors that we started Sunday morning worship outside on October 4. In November, we moved the prayer service to noontime and brought it inside. We also brought the 11:00 Sunday morning service inside at that time. Masks were still required at both services and we practiced social distancing. But we also began coming back together inside the building as a church family. Many people who weren’t yet comfortable in the larger gathering of the Sunday morning service chose the Wednesday service as their primary Worship time, and we respected their choice. Others liked having the additional opportunity to gather for prayer, and our time on

Wednesday met many needs in those ways and others.

Now, almost six years after we first experienced the angst of COVID-19, the Wednesday prayer service is no longer needed on a regular basis. It has fulfilled its original purpose spectacularly. We are a stronger church for having had that experience. I hope and pray that all of you who participated in that first evening prayer service on August 19, 2020, will remember it forever. It showed us all that God can do amazing things with us and through us, even when it seems like the world is falling apart around us.