The Coronavirus Pandemic & Its Effects On Our Lives
A Pastoral Letter from the Parish Priest
Letter 16 – 28 June 2020
Third Sunday after Trinity
My dearest Friends in the Lord,
Here I am again with my weekly Pastoral Letter since the lockdown as we continue to Stay Alert, Control the Virus and Save Lives!
As I write, it is really hot outside and very humid inside. The weather has been amazing and our gardens and lawns are showing it. So paradoxical that is because, along with peace and tranquillity – heaven on earth – there is the suffering, the bereavements, the anxiety of the lonely or those who fear for their livelihood. It seems wrong somehow to feel too contented when the world is in such terrible turmoil. But God can help us out of this impasse! T.S. Eliot the famous convert to Anglicanism wrote: “Christ is the still point of the turning world.” And Dante the great Italian poet wrote: “In his will is our peace.” He is the answer to all our life questions! I can personally testify how true that is!
The Prime Minister has announced further relaxations to the lockdown rules and life will take on a semblance of normality for sure. Unfortunately, a return to life as it was seems to be a long way off! One good news however is the potential discovery of an antidote by the scientists at Kings College London.
Places for worship are also in the list of the Prime Minister’s relaxation of lockdown rules. We in the Springline Parish are exploring possibilities of opening churches in a gradual way, taking baby steps, so to say, in making changes. We don’t have a clear answer yet as to when or how we can fully open our churches for worship in our Parish. We need to make sure that what we do is safe and sustainable especially because there are warnings of a second wave of the virus as early as September.
The Parochial Church Council will make the final call with regards to opening the churches for worship. Things definitely won’t be just as it was before. Furthermore, we want to reset the worship pattern in the Parish so as to reflect the changing circumstances and times and also the reduction of ministers. This is so especially with the sad passing away of two of our priests within the year – Revd David Young and Revd Bill Williams. May their souls rest in peace!
As of now, the weekly ‘zoom’ services will continue until further notice.
“LIVE” PARISH SERVICE this Sunday.
It will be A SHORT LIVE EUCHARIST ON ‘ZOOM’ AT 10.30 am led by Father Sebastian from the vicarage study in Ingham.
You will have received an invitation to join the service if you are in the Parish database. If you are not in the Parish database and wish to join in the service, please contact your local Churchwarden before Sunday morning.
Please use the following link to view The ORDER OF SERVICE.
Springline Parish on-line Home Worship resources for all
Please note that there are resources for children and families as well as general resources for prayer and worship that you can use during this lockdown period. Please visit our online Church page.
We are still Church – Springline Parish – 9 Churches, 1 Parish, Following Jesus!
As we are doing our best to reopen our village churches and some of our church buildings might still be closed due to safety and hygiene norms, we are still Church. We want to love God with all our hearts, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves. We will continue to do this. As Jesus exhorts us, we want to be people of Faith, not Fear. We will do all we can to reach out and help!
Please take care and do stay safe!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all now and always.
With my love, prayer and blessing to each one of you,
Father Sebastian
Revd Dr Sebastian Thomas Mattapally,
Rector, Springline Parish, Diocese of Lincoln
Tel: 01522 731793 Email: rector.springline@btinternet.com