I hope that you and your loved ones are doing okay during these very difficult and challenging times for us all. My continued prayers are with all within our community at this time.

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As the Lockdown time has continued and has been extended I have noticed a change in people’s feelings towards it. We have a great resolve in this country and this was very evident when we first entered into Lockdown. As we began Lockdown Joe Wickes was embraced in homes across the country for exercise, school at home became the norm and children and parents entered into it great with gusto. This was evidenced by the videos that appeared on social media as families had fun learning together. Alongside this, gardens were tidied and many a drawer in the house was sorted. However, just recently, I’ve picked up on the feeling of, ‘Actually, we’ve had enough, we want things back to normal, we’d like to see our grandchildren and friends again, we want ‘normal’ back.’ That type of feeling, anyone picked up on this, or perhaps felt it yourself? I know I have. 

We know the reality of the situation, we know how serious this is, we know that the measures in place are necessary, but it goes against every part of our human nature to socialise and to be with other people. For most of us this is where we get our energy from, socialising and networking when this is taken away from us we struggle. Virtual socialising helps, FaceTime and Facebook have helped families share time together, but we know it’s a pale imitation of the real thing. Something that has been apparent in our virtual worship on Facebook, it fills a gap, but it can never replace fellowship together and the worship we share when we are physically together. 

I’ve been thinking a lot lately, more time to do so I guess, and I’ve been thinking about the Israelites during their Exodus in Egypt found in the Old Testament. I’ve always found strength and solace through the Psalms, ancient texts that reach out into the emotions we feel today. The Isrealites were missing their places of worship and had to reinvent how they worshipped the Lord in a strange land. Psalm 137, which will be very familiar to you due to the song, captures the mood of the people then: 

By the rivers of Babylon— there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our harps. For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How could we sing the Lord‘s song in a foreign land? Psalm 137 1-4

It may be that you’ve struggled lately to sing the Lord’s Song in this strange land we find ourselves in at the moment, this strange land of virtual living and remote meeting, this land of not being able to enter into buildings to worship God in the way we always have done, this strange land that limits are freedom, this strange land that feels familiar, but is far from so.

The Lord’s people have been there before and there’s no doubt we will be again at some point in the future, what is important is that we remember this in times of testing, that we remember the constancy of God, that we remember that God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13.8), that just as in the past he is with us now, his love is real today, it is with those who suffer loss and pain in this world, and it will be with us into the future as we move forward out of this crisis and find time to give thanks and remember those whom we have lost along the way.

My thoughts, prayers and thanks are with all our key workers and NHS staff and frontline workers at this time. Our thanks go out to all who work to help our country to continue to function and that keep us safe.

God bless, Revd Mike