Thursday 7 May 2020

June 2020 Worship, news, & notes

Much has changed in a short time from a delightful wedding blessing for Stephen and Claire Dorsey, where everyone was beginning the social distancing dance, to all public buildings including Churches being locked shut.

Worship has not been stopped by the Coronavirus Challenge; in fact there may be more involved with Church life through Facebook posts as canon.tim.west, Youtube by Philip Elliott, and any number of contributors with comments, recommendations, or generating their own posts. After all worship is with body, mind, spirit, and strength 24/7, not just on Sundays. Many found the meditations on the Easter Cross unusually powerful.

Baptisms and weddings are postponed, most into next year. Everyone has been very understanding in spite of so many arrangements having to be changed. Our safety comes first.

How do we evolve? We will start on a small scale, perhaps watching an Alpha Course session. As we work out practicalities we can make more events available. What is certain is that it will be different, but relishing the unchanging truths of God's Good News story.

The Lay Worship Leaders [LWL] course for the borough will begin with a taster session on Zoom. If you're interested have a chat with one of the clergy. Successful candidates will be commissioned in January by Bishop Karen.

Sadly there have been many funerals and the crematorium has moved from 45 to 30 minute services in order to cope. Canon Tim has kept in touch with funeral directors for mutual support, in this case enjoying delicious home-made flapjacks at Cottons.