How are you doing? keeping sane? It's tough, isn't it? I can imagine that working in a shop is even more challenging as you deal with the needs for social distancing, the constant threat of a potential encounter with a shopper carrying the virus who could be any one of those who you would normally welcome.
I have heard that some folk are shopping for what appear to be the most unessential items and you wonder if they are taking the situation seriously.
But what is truly essential? I'm told we can survive on just a bowl of rice and water each day. There are places in the world where for many people that is their staple diet. I can't imagine that, can you?
It is written that "man cannot live by bread alone" That's a qoute from Jesus, and he is right. We need to feed more than the body. Somehow we must feed the mind and the spirit too. The mind needs to chew on things that stimulate, and our spirit craves a deeper sustenance than just survival, if we are to live. What do you feed your inner being on?
Being so locked into the progress of current crisis doesn't tend to help, it isn't what you might call 'uplifting' with the constant focus on deaths and problems with PPE, its the stuff of sleepless nights. Yes it will end but the problem of putting life on hold until this crisis is over is that you miss out on life now.
There are some news items that do cheer the heart - Captain Tom Moore is one such story. But there are other things too. Each day I walk the dog and there are some small woodlands nearby where the bluebells carpet the ground and you can hear the birds singing - its a timeless feeling of peace and joy at creation just doing its thing.
The apostle Paul, writing to the early church in a time of persecution says this to them:
Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
(Phil 4:6-9)
The peace he is talking about isn't a stillness, quietness or restfulness which is temporary but the peace of God - the Hebrew word is Shalom - which is a wholeness, a complete wellbeing of mind and spirit, a contentment.
One way of obtaining this peace is to cultivate a positive focus by giving thanks for the good in our lives; homes, family, relatives and friends (even if we can't meet with them) being just a few.
Remember with thanks the people who have been so helpful to you in your life, those who have bought the best out in you.
Think about the things or people that inspire you and lift your spirit.
Finding the joy in the things we can do.
The apostle Paul also encourages us to bring our worries to God in prayer.
Prayer doesn't need to be formal; it is often best a conversation with God as we speak out our heart's burdens; it can be silent or spoken, words in our head or on our lips.
You may wish to access some the Faith resources available in the Halton region, details below
Halton faith sector resources for use during
Covid 19 shutdown
Buddhist, Wat Phra Singh Temple, Runcorn
Their morning Chanting is at 06:00 and Evening
Chanting at 18:00 are livestreamed on their Facebook pages daily - the Facebook
addresses are shown below.
Fb: Wat Phra Singh UK
Fb: วัดพระสิงห์ ยูเค
In addition, their Buddhist nun Mae Chee
Shirley-Anne is holding Guided Meditation practice every Saturday using
Zoom. The meetings will be announced on their Facebook pages every week
during the Coronavirus lockdown.
Islam
How to attend a Muslim Friday Prayer service كيفية حضور صلاة الجمعة
الإسلامية
Catch up with a Friday sermon اللحاق بخطبة الجمعة
https://youtu.be/CNZ0Z9bdiMc
Church of England
St Berteline’s Church, Runcorn is live streaming a service every Sunday at 10am. It is live streamed on their Facebook page and then can be accessed there or on our website at a later point to view back.
www.stbertschurch.org.uk
Here is the link to Transform Widnes Website.
All of their services are on the website along with other resources to
help encourage people during this time.
They will be having daily Holy Week reflections, plus Good Friday and
Easter Sunday Services will be on this. This includes family friendly
services.
The website also has information of our Long Loaf community lunch, which
has now turned take away!
You can also follow them on Facebook under Transform Widnes.
St Ambrose Church, Widnes
Catholic
Mass is livestreamed each Sunday from
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral - www.liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk
This is normally at 9 am. However, please see below for Holy Week
services
The Most Reverend Malcolm McMahon OP, Archbishop of
Liverpool, is to livestream the Holy Week and Easter Services from the
Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool. The Services mark
the most important time of the Christian year when the passion, death and
resurrection of Jesus are commemorated.
The Archbishop says, ‘This year our Holy Week
devotions will have to be different as we rightly respect government
restrictions. We cannot physically gather as a worshipping community, but
livestreaming gives us the opportunity to join together spiritually in sincere
prayer and devotion as we commemorate the passion, death and glorious resurrection
of the Lord.’
Services will be streamed as follows:
Holy Thursday, 9
April 7.00
pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Good Friday, 10
April 3.00
pm Commemoration of the Lord’s
Passion
Holy Saturday, 11 April
8.00 pm The Easter Vigil and
First Mass of Easter
Easter Sunday, 12
April 11.00
am Mass
Ecumenical
New Life Christian Church Widnes
They do not live stream but do record
messages every couple of days and post them on their Church’s Facebook page on
their website and also on YouTube.
The
Foundry, Widnes
Methodist, Runcorn
The three Methodist churches in Runcorn are now
part of the North Cheshire circuit.
This is a prayer wall we are trying to encourage people
to use:
The local Methodist churches have Facebook pages
Methodist, Widnes
Methodist Churches in Widnes Worship
