On Sunday 22nd March
we held the last service at St. Peter’s for at least the next four weeks, although we were voluntarily calling a halt to our gatherings at that point.
But after the announcement yesterday we all know that we are entering full lockdown and isolation tomorrow, and many of us are feeling nervous about how this will affect us mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
There is no part of our being and our society that will be unchanged by this experience.
So it is my hope that the resources offered here over the time of our separation will go some way to helping sustain and nurture us all as we move through the next four weeks and, isolated from each other though we may be, we know and trust that none of us is alone. We are held together in a bright web of belonging that knows no boundaries of time and space.
Resources for the journey of faith
Each Sunday I’ll post at least a reading, reflection, prayers and blessing. I’m working on organising a virtual gathering via zoom which will allow us to see each other’s faces, to pray and listen, to share stories and to be present together so please keep checking your email for news about that. If you click the ‘follow’ button at the bottom of the post, then you’ll get an email every time I post something new on this page.
Through the week there may be poems – almost certainly – and possibly music and who knows what else? This is an opportunity for us to find creative ways to connect, to be encouraged and to grow together.
In the meantime…
…remember to be kind to yourself and to others; reach out for help when you need it (don’t wait too long); reach out to others when you think of it (don’t put it off).
You do not need to stay strong for anyone else, because sadness and fear are present for all of us.
You do not need to stay strong because weariness and not getting what you need in terms of space or company are not signs of weakness but simply part of what it is to be human, and we all need to be in relationship in ways that nurture and restore our spirits.
And lastly
be assured: there is no distance between hearts that love.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
