Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs

Music and worship have taken on a new aspect this year. With online services replacing gatherings in church YouTube videos have come into their own. Organists once searched multiple hymn books to find the 'right' tune for favourite hymns. In 2020 we now find ourselves spending hours locating our preferred version of that special worship song or hymn.

Music is an important part of Sunday worship in most Christian churches. The ban imposed on congregational singing will be hard to bear for many of us.

For the next two Sundays, our online church service features songs and hymns chosen by members of the congregation. Those taking part have each offered a brief explanation for their choice. We may not be able as yet to sing together in church but our worship in 'psalms, hymns and spiritual songs' is unceasing.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.

Consider the lilies

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (Luke 12:27)

In our ever changing times there is something reassuring about the way the natural world goes on as usual. Flowers bloom, bees gather on lavender bushes, and when the sun shines as it did last week, everything in the garden is rosy.

We have lived, and continue to live, in the shadow of a global pandemic. Sickness and death have been a daily reality. The lilies in all their magnificent, short-lived glory, cheer and encourage us in the midst of our fear.

As we look to an uncertain future we gaze upon the lilies and wonder at the One who made this thing of such beauty.
 

Face values

Face coverings or masks will be compulsory from next week for users of public transport. Britain has been slow to introduce this requirement. The British don't take easily to the instruction to cover their faces.

Here, as in much of Europe, the inability to see a face tends to cause unease. Ten years ago the wearing of face veils by Muslim women was a hot issue. Faces covered by burqas or niqabs could not easily be identified. Wearers were viewed with suspicion. Political debates became heated. Britain resisted a ban on face coverings while other countries introduced laws that proved difficult to enforce.

Facial recognition is a key element in identification. Masks and helmets have long been used by criminals to conceal their identity. Photos, ID parades, CCTV and now facial recognition technology are all used by police to identify suspects. Initial identification begins with the recognition of an individual face. From next week that may not be an option.

Christians worship an unseen God who reveals himself in human form. For centuries artists and film makers have created images of the face of Christ. None would help us pick Jesus out in an ID parade. No-one knows what he looked like. Yet for over two thousand years millions of human individuals have trusted and believed that Jesus was just who he said he was.

Faces matter but they don't tell us everything.

World on fire

Sunday 31 May 2020 was Pentecost Sunday. On the day when Christians celebrate the moving of God's Spirit in fire and wind parts of our world were literally on fire. Anger following the death of George Floyd six days earlier brought civil unrest to the USA. Over the weekend protesters took to the streets in of London, Cardiff and Manchester. In the wake of a killing believed by many to be the result of racial prejudice, frustration and anger led to the flouting of rules and restrictions imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19. While in Britain the protests were largely peaceful, the streets of many American cities continue to burn.

Pentecost Sunday this year was a subdued affair. There were no services of celebration. The Ecumenical gatherings and large events that have become common in recent years did not take place. No visible signs of God's Spirit moving among believers as happened on a distant day in Jerusalem were apparent.

Yet God is still at work. Despite the closure of churches and the banning of larger events Christian communities continue not only to pray but to live out the faith passed down through the centuries. In acts of kindness, in the daily work to which each is called, in family and community life, God's spirit is at work.

Pentecost is just one day. It is what happens next that might just set the world on fire.

Ascension Day

Ascension Day is a waymark on the journey from Easter to Pentecost. For the first Christians it was a turning point. With Jesus taken from them for a second time the future of the community of faith would lie in their hands. It was time to begin making plans. Change was on the way.

Across the world there are signs that the crisis created by the Covid-19 pandemic may be easing. In every country it is now time to begin making plans. This is a turning point. The future will be shaped by the response those bearing the burden of leadership. Change is on the way.

Those with Jesus at the moment of the ascension returned from the mountain bearing a heavy burden. Leadership in times of uncertainty is challenging. Politicians, scientific advisers, and public health officials across the world are now responsible for guiding the countries they serve into the next phase. Change is on the way. Our leaders bear a heavy burden as the decisions they take will affect the health and well being of millions.

The Twelve who became Apostles in the early church were part of a praying community. The role of the worldwide Christian community is to continue to pray for those bearing the burden of leadership at this time of change.

God, thank You for the men and women who serve our country in leadership roles and for their families.
Please provide our leaders with reminders each day of why they decided to dedicate their lives to public service, 
and use that commitment to encourage them. Amen

The next new normal

I do not know what lies ahead,
the way I cannot see;
yet one stands near to be my guide
He'll show the way to me.

I know who holds the future,
and He'll guide me with his hand;
with God things don't just happen,
everything by Him is planned.
So as i face tomorrow,
with its problems large and small,
I'll trust the God of miracles,
give to Him my all.

A.B. Smith & E. Clarke (1947)

Sunday evening's Prime Ministerial address to the British people brought few surprises. In advance of the speech most of the modifications to current arrangements had been anticipated. By Monday morning anxieties emerged due to a lack of clear guidance on the way things might change. Organisations and individuals must now find a way of adjusting to the new regime envisioned by the government.

Jesus' disciples found themselves in a similar predicament following the events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Over a period of just three days their lives had been turned upside down. The resurrection of Jesus brought not just comfort but also the hope of a return to normal. Anticipation turned to anxiety as the Risen Christ proved elusive. There were appearances, conversations and interactions but instead of a return to work Jesus spoke of leaving once again. Over a period of just under six weeks the disciples began to realise the need to adjust to a new normal. Nothing would ever be the same again.

As Britain moves towards the next 'new normal' Christians continue to wait in anticipation of the time when it will be possible to gather for worship. In the meantime we draw on the resources of our shared faith to ease our anxiety. We continue to adapt and to rejoice in the knowledge that in due time God will lead us into our new future.

Signs of hope

On 8 May 1945 the streets of London were packed as crowds celebrated the end of the war in Europe. Peace had yet to break out in the Far East. Wartime restrictions would continue for some time. VE Day 1945 was a sign of hope but it would be some time before things would really change for the better.

Friday 8 May 2020 will be a quieter affair. Plans to commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of VE Day have been modified. The event will be marked online or at home. London's streets will lie deserted as the country awaits signs of hope that sometime soon things might really change for the better.

Four weeks ago Christians marked Easter. With churches closed millions of people found different ways to worship and celebrate at home or online. The events of the first Easter Sunday offer the greatest sign of hope the world has ever known. As we contemplate the resurrection and encounter the reality of the the risen Christ we know that, by the grace of God, things can always change for the better.