Circuit Message April 27th 2021
I am filling in again for Cathy this week, as Cathy is, we hope, enjoying a break for a couple of weeks. We are still living in strange times, and perhaps these may seem even stranger as Lockdown restrictions gradually ease and we are able to do a bit more. If only I could remember which restriction is lifted on what date!!
There are still many topics which occupy our thoughts. Climate Change is one of them and we are bound to hear more of that in the coming weeks leading up to Cop 26. And rightly so; and not just about how our actions are effecting the weather and our environment, but about how other actions are effecting the environment – all the rubbish we produce, and all the resources we use and even are we now eating our clothes?
But enough time for that in coming weeks – the Circuit Eco Task Group meet regularly and will be reporting, inviting, advising, offering and all sorts, soon.
We could be considering that as we open up, we may well find that there are people in our communities who are no longer protected from eviction from their homes, or who find that their jobs are gone as furlough money and other Government help comes to and end; and there may be great need in the Food Banks and Community Pantries and so on across our patch.
But this week our thoughts have turned very much to the plight of the people of India as they battle a 2nd wave of the Covid-19. We watch the unfolding nightmare with horror, anger, sympathy, sadness, bewilderment and a whole host of other emotions besides. This was a country which recently proudly said that they had beaten Coronavirus, only for it to return unexpectedly, swiftly and devastatingly. Hospitals can’t cope; funeral parlours can’t cope, crematoria can’t cope. Our neighbours who run the shop at the end of the road, next to the Jolly Sailor on Bramhall Lane, tell us that they check their phones many times a day as they have many family members who are ill and many who have died. They say that all Community Halls have been turned into makeshift hospitals, and so have many schools.
Aid is being sent from around the world. The UK is sending aid; some has already arrived and more is on its way, as has Singapore; the US and EU are also sending aid, as are Russia and China, but with a population of 1.3 billion, much more is needed. Many places are remote and hard to reach both with medical equipment, protective equipment and vaccinations.
I am filling in again for Cathy this week, as Cathy is, we hope, enjoying a break for a couple of weeks. We are still living in strange times, and perhaps these may seem even stranger as Lockdown restrictions gradually ease and we are able to do a bit more. If only I could remember which restriction is lifted on what date!!
There are still many topics which occupy our thoughts. Climate Change is one of them and we are bound to hear more of that in the coming weeks leading up to Cop 26. And rightly so; and not just about how our actions are effecting the weather and our environment, but about how other actions are effecting the environment – all the rubbish we produce, and all the resources we use and even are we now eating our clothes?
But enough time for that in coming weeks – the Circuit Eco Task Group meet regularly and will be reporting, inviting, advising, offering and all sorts, soon.
We could be considering that as we open up, we may well find that there are people in our communities who are no longer protected from eviction from their homes, or who find that their jobs are gone as furlough money and other Government help comes to and end; and there may be great need in the Food Banks and Community Pantries and so on across our patch.
But this week our thoughts have turned very much to the plight of the people of India as they battle a 2nd wave of the Covid-19. We watch the unfolding nightmare with horror, anger, sympathy, sadness, bewilderment and a whole host of other emotions besides. This was a country which recently proudly said that they had beaten Coronavirus, only for it to return unexpectedly, swiftly and devastatingly. Hospitals can’t cope; funeral parlours can’t cope, crematoria can’t cope. Our neighbours who run the shop at the end of the road, next to the Jolly Sailor on Bramhall Lane, tell us that they check their phones many times a day as they have many family members who are ill and many who have died. They say that all Community Halls have been turned into makeshift hospitals, and so have many schools.
Aid is being sent from around the world. The UK is sending aid; some has already arrived and more is on its way, as has Singapore; the US and EU are also sending aid, as are Russia and China, but with a population of 1.3 billion, much more is needed. Many places are remote and hard to reach both with medical equipment, protective equipment and vaccinations.
I am filling in again for Cathy this week, as Cathy is, we hope, enjoying a break for a couple of weeks. We are still living in strange times, and perhaps these may seem even stranger as Lockdown restrictions gradually ease and we are able to do a bit more. If only I could remember which restriction is lifted on what date!!
There are still many topics which occupy our thoughts. Climate Change is one of them and we are bound to hear more of that in the coming weeks leading up to Cop 26. And rightly so; and not just about how our actions are effecting the weather and our environment, but about how other actions are effecting the environment – all the rubbish we produce, and all the resources we use and even are we now eating our clothes?
But enough time for that in coming weeks – the Circuit Eco Task Group meet regularly and will be reporting, inviting, advising, offering and all sorts, soon.
We could be considering that as we open up, we may well find that there are people in our communities who are no longer protected from eviction from their homes, or who find that their jobs are gone as furlough money and other Government help comes to and end; and there may be great need in the Food Banks and Community Pantries and so on across our patch.
But this week our thoughts have turned very much to the plight of the people of India as they battle a 2nd wave of the Covid-19. We watch the unfolding nightmare with horror, anger, sympathy, sadness, bewilderment and a whole host of other emotions besides. This was a country which recently proudly said that they had beaten Coronavirus, only for it to return unexpectedly, swiftly and devastatingly. Hospitals can’t cope; funeral parlours can’t cope, crematoria can’t cope. Our neighbours who run the shop at the end of the road, next to the Jolly Sailor on Bramhall Lane, tell us that they check their phones many times a day as they have many family members who are ill and many who have died. They say that all Community Halls have been turned into makeshift hospitals, and so have many schools.
Aid is being sent from around the world. The UK is sending aid; some has already arrived and more is on its way, as has Singapore; the US and EU are also sending aid, as are Russia and China, but with a population of 1.3 billion, much more is needed. Many places are remote and hard to reach both with medical equipment, protective equipment and vaccinations.
By the time you get this, you will know that the Circuit held a Prayer Vigil on Zoom for the situation in India. Raj Patta set the ball rolling over the weekend, and very quickly it snowballed across the Circuit, then the District, and then other denominations became involved, and the President of Conference also joined us in prayer. It felt as we were preparing, that there were people across the board who wanted to join together before God, with each other, in prayer, to pray for our brothers and sisters in India in their plight. What can we actually do? Well, I’m writing this before the Vigil, during which there will be a Question and Answer session with Rev Asir Ebenezer, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in India who will be there to tell us what it is actually like in reality, and what we might do. So … watch this space (and, obviously, the Circuit Website!)
As our own restrictions continue to ease by degrees, please let us remember that things are not ‘back to normal’, they are moving continuously to what may become the ‘new normal’. We will have to be careful and to watch we don’t slip back into careless habits. We have seen in Brazil how the virus doesn’t go away if it’s ignored, and we’ve now seen how it can return frighteningly quickly if care isn’t taken.
For now, it’s good to look forward to those times when we can enjoy each other’s company again, when we can begin to do some of those fun things, and when we can see our families again. We might not be quite there yet, and sometimes the end of the journey, when you’re tired, hungry, irritable and just want to arrive is the hardest. So …
… remember as always:
In this time of isolation and separation may we feel the unity of God’s spirit in the bonds of peace and love which connect us to one another.
- When we feel lonely let us know that in Christ we are never alone.
- When we feel isolated may we be reminded that within the worldwide Body of Christ we are always connected.
- When we need a hug help us to feel the warmth of God’s embrace
- When we are compelled to keep our distance, may we be drawn close to each other within the Spirit of Companionship that flows from God and which moves through and between each one of us.
Yours,
Lindsay
NOTICES
Helpful hint to find Zoom links quickly - Go to the calendar on the website (click here). If you click on the event you would like to attend, a box will pop up with the Zoom information. You can click on the link and go straight into the meeting.
Circuit Prayer
As we continue into lockdown, let’s continue to say this prayer together when we can, at 11am on a Sunday morning. This way we stay connected in a very really and tangible way with all those who are not yet able to come back to church. You can also read more about each church on the Circuit Website www.stockportcircuit.org.uk
God of Love and Life, we pray to you this morning for the life the United Stockport Methodist Circuit, for our sisters and brothers who belong to:
We worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. We ask that this time of crisis might pass and that those who suffer might find comfort and strength within the knowledge of your grace, revealed through the kindness and compassion of the people of God. Eternal God, through the self-offering of your Son you have filled our lives with your presence. Help us in our sufferings and trials. Fill us with hope and strengthen us in our weakness. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Christian Aid Week
Dialstone Lane Methodist Church - Plant Stalls raising funds for Christian Aid
Please support our socially distanced plant stalls, part of our fund raising for Christian Aid this year. There will be annuals, perennials, vegetables, tomatoes, herbs and house plants.
The stall will be held outside the church, so if the weather is very windy or rainy we will have to cancel for the day. At the Church, please follow the one- way directions to the stall and observe social distancing. Hand sanitiser will be available.
Saturday May 8th, Monday May 10th , Tuesday May 11th , 11.00 - 2.00
No stall on Wednesday
Thursday May 13th 2.00 – 4.00
Friday May 14th, Saturday May 15th 11.00 – 2.00