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Dear Friends,
I do hope this letter finds you well. It was wonderful to be able to share our back to Church service with you on Sunday. It was lovely to see so many familiar and also some not so familiar faces again, albeit from behind masks.
We had to do things a little differently from the past. There was hand sanitising and social distancing, limited conversations, and no singing, but I pray that you sensed the presence of God with us as we joined together as a body of believers. Our thoughts and prayers were with those of you who for the moment can’t join with us. Know that you were and will remain with us as we do things a little differently. We want everybody to feel, comfortable, safe, and loved whether that means attending Church for the time being in body, mind, or spirit.
My thoughts when I reflected upon the service later on, took me back to how the early Church at the start of Christianity responded in times of trouble. We catch a glimpse of how the early Church operated as we read Acts 2:42-47 NRSV
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.
44 All who believed were together and had all things in common.
45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.
46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts,
47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Disease and plague were not uncommon in ancient history. When plague struck the towns and cities , those who were able and those who could afford to ran for the hills to escape the disease -ridden crowds. The poor ,the sick and the infirm were often left to fend for themselves. The early Church were noted for how the members loved each other. This was in part because during times of disease the Christians remained in the thick of it. They stayed put and cared for and nursed those who needed assistance. Why did they do this? They did it because they loved as Jesus had loved. We remain grateful to all those who have worked and continue to work alongside the sick and the vulnerable during our present crises.
Covid 19 has created strange times and during them I expect each of us has wanted to run for the hills at some point! The landscape we have found ourselves in has seen many reaching out with acts of loving kindness. Friendships and a renewed sense of community have been formed. Let’s try to ensure that over the coming months we continue to seek to do God’s will and hold one another in love as we step into the new normal.
Every Blessing, Jenny
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