It’s been a strange
Lent - again! Not being able to use the church is something that many of us are
feeling acutely. Just being able to go in at the usual times and do what we do
in our worship - and the practical things like knowing where the books are,
being able to put out the sacred vessels; actually having an altar which is set
apart and the place at which we meet with Christ in the bread and wine we
consecrate at that altar. I’m missing the church as a place for prayer - it
makes me realise how much I want us to be able to keep it open for as much of
the time as possible. And for our wider community I’ve felt distinctly
uncomfortable. Is the church available for a funeral? - we’ve endured some very
cold conditions, but knowing just how important it is that we should be able to
use this well-loved place which has been there for the most important parts of
people’s lives. And I’ve worried about just when we can offer to host Baptisms
and Marriages (why not wait till it’s warmer? - I was asking last year).
Now I hope that the
work of getting a new heating system up and running is just about complete.
Sorry we can’t be more definite at this point as to quite how much we can
promise for Holy Week, but we have a programme of services which we shall
celebrate one way or the other! Make sure you are with us - and do travel for
the one or two which will be celebrated at St. John’s Church, Castleside.
We began Lent with two
shared Ash Wednesday services: the first at St., John’s, because they always
have a Wednesday morning service anyway; but then the evening service at Christ
Church, Consett. I was grateful that we were invited to be part of these
services. This year we couldn’t put them on ourselves. But perhaps in other
years we need to work further on just what we can do by sharing with
neighbouring parishes - to the benefit of us all.
From the April issue of our Parish Magazine - find it online here
No comments:
Post a Comment