It’s finally happened.  After several days feeling off-colour, two very broad red bands on the test cartridge proclaimed “COVID has reached the Rectory”.

Instead of heading out to greet the Easter dawn and proclaim the resurrection, Mary spent a busy hour or more helping reorganise the day.  All my Easter plans were cancelled with immediate effect.

A few days earlier, I had been reflecting on the need we all have to find space in the day for moments of peace.  There’s always something to do and for home workers, a growing band in recent times, that ‘something’ is seldom far away.  There is nothing like an enforced break to remind us that, when we stop, even for a moment, the world doesn’t.  To remind me also, perhaps, to listen more closely to my own musings.

From time to time, the gospels reveal Jesus calling his disciples away for a break, as for example when there were so many comings and goings there was not even time to eat (Mk 6:31).  I can’t think of a single Bible verse that tells the disciples they were not busy enough.

Thanks, in no small measure, to all whose skill and hard work made our vaccination programme possible, my COVID experience has been quite mild.  And yes, I have continued to work from home, slowly.  However, the need to isolate and keep my bugs to myself effectively cleared my diary for a week or more, starting with Easter Day.  That the world didn’t stop, is largely down to teamwork.

God is love and love requires community, someone to love.  In the beginning God saw that it was not good for man (and woman) to be alone; God created us to live in partnership.  Our understanding of God as three-in-one (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) further reinforces the value of harmonious relationships.  In these fractured and fractious times, we need to remember this – and practice it.  Inconvenient though it was, and still is, what better time than Easter, the day of resurrection, the day God resets the clock once again, to be reminded of this.

And here in the Rectory?  I am very pleased to say that, once again, the Team came up trumps.  The programme may have changed a little but Easter happened.  My thanks to all of you who rallied round to help.

Rev’d Philip Payne

The Notice Sheet for 24 April 2022 can be found here