Our churchwardens, Bev and Christine, ponder on the lessons of lockdown
During the Covid 19 lockdown, your churchwardens have had two very different experiences. Bev had to go into shielded lockdown on 16 March. Christine, as a key worker, has continued to be active in the community. We’ve kept in touch through modern technology, but have both had to adapt to different ways of life.
Christine has had to adapt to new ways of working, with additional items of PPE, social distancing, and an increased workload. Bev has had to change from a busy life, with not enough hours in the day, to life within the confines of home and garden, with no social activity at all. We’ve both had to cope with limited contact with family. FaceTime is no substitute for hugs and cuddles with grandchildren!
But, over the past few months, God has taught us some valuable lessons, two of which have really resonated with us.
The Church is people and God has been showing His people how to work in new ways!
We love and value our church buildings and we are so blessed with these at St Saviour’s. But God has shown us how we can come together as a church family in new ways: through meetings and Priority 1 on Zoom, through online services, and many others. One of the highlights of the online services was at Pentecost, when so many of our church family were able to contribute to a great outpouring of joy and praise. We long for the day when we can meet and worship together again; when we can hug each other, shake hands during the Peace and share Holy Communion. But, even in lockdown, God has shown us that the Church is alive – a family that can reach out to each other and the wider community, a family that can still worship God and praise Him in all circumstances.
God is always with us!
Like many of you, we have both known God’s presence during these challenging few months. God has strengthened and protected Christine as she has been serving in the community. For Bev, when the days at home in lockdown have seemed endless and frustrating, God has spoken through a passage of scripture or a word or thought in the silence of a quiet time.
We don’t know how or when this pandemic will finally end, but we do know that God is in charge and He will use all our experiences in lockdown to help us grow as individuals and as a church family.
As the verses on the signage outside our church buildings say:
‘His banner over me is love.’ Song of Songs 2:4
‘I am still confident of this. I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ Psalm 27:13
With our love and prayers.
Bev Collum-Mills and Christine Moyes, churchwardens
