6 January 2021

Rev. Irene writes:

Happy & Healthy New Year to everyone. We cannot deny last year was a year with a difference and unfortunately those changes and differences continue into 2021!

Reading Matt’s book, a short passage, that was a quote from Rev. Neal Barnes, said:

“Perhaps it’s when we feel weakest and most vulnerable that the Holy Spirit finds us at our most pliable and workable – a bit like the clay – and he’s able to use us most powerfully.”

Many, like myself, feel frustrated and vulnerable as the weeks continue to pass however, I must tell myself that this is not an opportunity to waste, every telephone call or email is important and may be just what the recipient is waiting for. So please make sure, that if you are able, pick up the phone and make contact with someone you have not been able to see during the past weeks. We are all one family, God’s family let us make sure we see this one through together and move into spring, more positive and hopeful for our future.

This week Rev Dominic reflects on the past year:

Rev. Dominic writes:

‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Psalm 46:1-3 (ESV)

It is nearly a year ago now since I began anticipating the mother of all interviews, a two-day epic grilling, including all night ordeal by bell chimes, in the Hideout Hotel! Mandy had been working at the Minster about a week. After a year of family uncertainty things finally seem to be falling into place, we have a plan. Heather was over her treatment and we both have new jobs, we are looking forward to catching up with old friends, the boys are excited to move to a new city.

Over Christmas we had heard news of a new SARS like virus far away in the Wuhan district of China originating in a wet food market, by the end of January it had reached the UK and by the middle of March life as we had known it had come to an end. After a degree of government hesitation, an enemy only visible to an electron microscope would on the 23rd March effectively shut down Britain. In the densely packed street houses of North Ormesby of my former parish where we are living, we hear of more and more deaths. Our freedoms would be restricted in ways we had not seen in our lifetimes. ‘Stay at home, Protect the NHS, Save lives.’ Captain Tom Moore celebrates his 100th birthday, Furlough is introduced, rainbows appear in people’s windows and we clap for carers and ‘key workers,’ though decent pay would have been a better tribute.

For the first time in England since the Emancipation Acts, even our freedom to worship together was denied. In the church we hear about something called Zoom and Teams. Many of us have to rapidly get over our camera shyness as our mobile phones are used to broadcast worship. We are either pre-recording or streaming or Zooming. It is not the same and not everyone is able to keep up but overnight this online stuff, that seemed a bit faddy, was what church had become, church which for many of us was a building, somewhere we went to, was now for all of us ‘Church at Home.’

As my sons remind me in a ‘First World problems’ sort of way, as the Jews of the Babylonian exile had to find a new way to be Jewish without the Temple in a ‘strange and foreign land’, so we had to find what is was to be church without our house of prayer and even more significantly without coming together physically as church. We somehow managed it and If 2020 taught us anything it was not to put too much store by our human plans and hopefully even ‘in a strange and foreign land’, that much of 2020 became, we can still sing the Lord’s Song! (Psalm 137.4)

Wishing you all a blessed ‘new normal’ year.

Rev Dominic

Irene concludes with:

JANUARY OPENING

As everyone will be aware, we are now in a third lockdown. The guidance does allow public worship to continue, therefore there will continue to be open for Wednesday 12:30pm Holy Communion and Sunday 10:30am Holy Communion. Please click here to book in.

The 3:30 Sunday Praise Service this week will be via zoom so if you would like to join please click here for the link.

All other public services are cancelled, and we await further guidance for personal prayer opening.

READINGS: BAPTISM OF CHRIST

COLLECT FOR THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

Heavenly Father

At the Jordan you revealed Jesus as your Son;

May we recognize him as our Lord and know ourselves

To be your beloved children;