March Collects, Intercessions and Readings

See SEC morning Eucharist list. Also recent Children's Chapel list.
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SEC Daily Prayer - Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and Night Prayer (Compline)

Curate's Letter

Dear All,

There and back again.

I wonder if you feel, as I do, that there are certain repetitive scenarios that we find ourselves going through over and over. Recently, I felt that I was going through some version of Groundhog Day, where, like the character played by Bill Murray, I was ever more wearied by what appeared to be the same events apparently going through endless repetition.

I wonder too if I have used the same title for my curate's letter. Wondering too, whether it matters. Wondering, hoping, praying that Lockdown will begin easing yet fearful of cases of Covid rising again. A cycle of repetition that has stretched most if not all of us in one way or another. A time of waiting, of 'digging in deep into the resources that God gives us' in order that we can carry on.

Then of course, there is the hope that things can go back to normal. I have written elsewhere in previous letters of asking oneself what is normal, and what is the new normal? The various demands of Lockdowns 1.0, 1.1, 2.0 (and however many versions you might care about) have brought new adjustments into our lives. I doubt we could go back to what we thought of 'as normal' ever again. Perhaps that fills you with dismay. Perhaps it fills you with trepidation or even joy.

Over the past year we have been pulled out of our comfort zones in a way that none of us could ever have dreamed. So much so that the saying 'We've never done it that way before,' is now obsolete.

So much of this journey is, I believe, reflected in our Lenten journey to Easter. Jesus, throughout his ministry showed us new and radical ways of living and being. Much in line with what we have tried to do with online church, postal services, provision of candles and so on. Activities that have brought some people closer to the church than they have been for a long time. Sure, this new way of being and doing is not for everyone and I am not going to hark on about it. Except to say that for those who feel a part of this new venture, we could never go back to simply doing church in one way and only one way.

Could the year that has passed be likened to a wilderness? One like the Israelites endured (40 years)? Or the one Noah and his family had (150 days). When the waters subsided, Noah and his family faced a world that had been destroyed by flood waters. Perhaps that past year has been a test of mental resolve or has contained moments of pure joy where a number of achievements were accomplished.

So, like the book that Bilbo Baggins began to write, has this journey through tiers and lockdowns really been about having endured something for a year, only to return to 'the way things were'? Or is it to look ahead and resolve oneself to only move forward without looking back? We don't move in a static circle, even though we may feel there are certain repetitions we could do without. We are for ever moving forward (not just through time). Part of that process is the invite from Jesus, to walk with Him. As we approach Good Friday and then Easter, we are invited to remind ourselves of what Jesus went through, on our behalf.

Let us remind ourselves of God's promises, his faithfulness, and his ability to journey with us through thick and thin. Let us reflect on God and his purposes for humankind as we journey through Lent. Let us enjoy the present moment, finding God in the here and now, while knowing that one day we will be able to meet and greet each other in the church buildings. That one day, we will be able to sing together, singing God's praises. Knowing that what we are experiencing, and this Lenten journey, is not about returning to what was normal but being brought into a new way of living, and being, that is with the risen Christ at the centre of all we do.

Ellie