Forever Autumn

Autumn has arrived. In the middle of last week, the late summer sunshine gave way to rain, wind and low temperatures. At this time of year the arrival of autumn usually brings with it the celebration of Harvest. In a year where nothing is as it should be, there will be no special service, no harvest display and no shared meal in our church. With the national and international news full of the relentless spread of COVID-19, the traditional ways of celebrating God's goodness must be set aside.

In the musical version of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds, a journalist reflects on the invasion of earth by Martians. Many lives were lost in the war. The post-invasion world proves harsh and inhospitable for humans. The journalist sings of a world that is 'forever autumn' with no hope of change with the coming of spring.

H.G. Wells' story has a hopeful conclusion. The Martian takeover of planet earth comes to an end when the invaders are struck by a virus. Human beings are unaffected but the Martians are wiped out due to their lack of immunity to the pathogen. In due course, earth's people are able to rebuild their lives. The interminable autumn described by the journalist ceases and a new season begins. In the words of the author, the invaders were 'slain, after all man's devices have failed, by the humblest things that God, in his wisdom, has put upon this earth.'

In the midst of all that surrounds us this harvest time, we know that God will not abandon the created world. With the Psalmist, we look upwards to the One that made all things in hope and in trust.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. 

Psalm 121

One step forward and two steps back

Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today and for ever 
Hebrews 13:8

Change is in the air. Tuesday 22 September marks the turning of summer to autumn. Weather forecasts indicate that the current warm spell will end on Wednesday. The changing of the seasons is reassuringly predictable in these uncertain times.

As summer turns to autumn in 2020, a rise in cases of COVID-19 brings with it concerns that a second wave of the pandemic is beginning. Gradual easing of coronavirus restrictions over the summer has already ended in some parts of Britain. Changes to daily life now seem inevitable. 

Christians across the world have faced significant challenges during this year of pandemic. With church buildings closed, other ways to worship were needed and the church moved online. Over the summer it became possible to gather for services but new ways of worshipping were needed due to the significant restrictions imposed. Each new Government announcement was accompanied by lengthy guidelines. Progress was slow and the process exhausting. Too often, one step forward seemed to be followed by two steps back. 

Autumn 2020 seems likely to be another season marked by constant change for Christians in Britain. At each stage, adaptation and adjustment will be required in all areas of life, faith and worship. Like Moses and the Israelites, our journey may feel like a wandering in the wilderness. In our ever-changing world we walk in confidence knowing that God will guide, sustain, and in time, lead us into a new future.

11 September

I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

Nineteen years ago the world watched in stunned disbelief as the city of New York was hit by terror attacks. 2,977 people died that day. The world vowed never to forget. Everything changed following what became known as 9/11.

This September, with the world caught up in a pandemic, remembrance events were scaled down due to restrictions imposed to control the spread of COVID-19. On 11 September 2020, few outside of the USA gave much thought to the anniversary. 

As autumn approaches, concern is growing over the resurgence of the virus that has killed hundreds of thousands worldwide. In Britain, new restrictions on social gatherings will be introduced from Monday. The fear of terror attacks that followed the 2001 attacks on New York have been replaced by fear of an invisible but deadly organism.

Throughout history, Christians have lived through times of fear like our own. Political turmoil, persecution, sickness and death were ever present threats in the world in which they lived. Seeking to reassure the Christians in Rome, Paul reminds them that nothing we face in this world can separate us from God's love. In our anxious times his words encourage us to look above and beyond the days in which we live. 

A year like no other

September 2019 seems a long time ago. So much has changed over the past twelve months. And yet as September 2020 begins a great deal seems much as usual. Education is to the fore as schools and universities resume teaching. Climate protests are again underway. Brexit rumbles away in the background. As one nineteenth century French writer observed 'the more it changes, the more it's the same thing.'

Much has changed across the world in the past year. COVID-19 has forced all of us to adapt and alter our way of life to manage the pandemic. As September begins there is yet more change to absorb. While some would welcome a return to the old ways, others hope to hold onto what seems change for the better in some areas. We are caught between nostalgia for the familiar and a yearning for something new to happen. Time will tell how that tension will resolve at both the personal and the national levels.

Whatever comes to pass in the months ahead, the Christian tradition teaches us that God is always faithful to the whole creation. The tension between continuity and change is embedded in the biblical record. God is both the rock on which we build and the divine power that moves to transform the creation. We watch in anticipation and wait in hope to see what God will do in our lives and in our world in the coming year.

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43:19

The Canterbury War Horse

Canterbury Cathedral is the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is also a tourist attraction and the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. In common with all churches in Britain the cathedral closed in March. Services resumed on 5 July and visitors are once again welcome throughout the week. 2020 has been a challenging year for places or worship, whatever their size.

In the Cathedral Precincts stands the Canterbury War Horse. Installed in 2018 as part of the World War I Centenary Commemorations the 20 foot high horse towers over visitors. It stands, head bowed, as a reminder of both the human and animal lives lost in war. 

This year, loss of life has been a daily fact of life. Efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 have brought further loss. No-one has been untouched by the health crisis that threatens our lives and our well being. 

The War Horse is intended to encourage reflection on the human experience of loss. Sited as it is near the main door of the Cathedral, it stands as a reminder that God does not turn away from human suffering and loss. In this historic place of worship, where the resurrected Jesus is worshipped, God's compassion and concern for the whole creation is daily affirmed and celebrated. 

Canterbury's War Horse is not a memorial to lives lost in a war that ended over a hundred years ago. It is a reminder that death does not have the final word. 

Watching and waiting

2020 has been a year for watching and waiting. As the year began, we watched the developing situation in China, hoping that the deadly virus causing sickness and death wouldn't reach our shores. Later, when COVID-19 became an ever present threat in our own country, we watched as the daily death toll rose and waited to see what would happen next. And now, as restrictions ease we continue to watch and wait, hoping that the worst is over but fearing a second wave. 

August 2020 has seen an end to watching and waiting in one area of life this week. With the drama surrounding GCSE and A level results resolved young people are now in a position to plan for the future. For them and their families the anxious time of watching and waiting is at an end. 

There are signs of hope in other areas of our lives. Many churches are already holding services and others will follow in September. We continue to watch and wait for permission to sing but being together as a Christian community once again is encouraging. 

Watching and waiting has always been a part of the life of faith. As we continue to watch and wait this year we look to God for the strength to endure on the journey towards a future filled with hope.

What if?

 2020 has been a year like no other. Everyday life has changed in ways no-one could have anticipated. Unfamiliar words and concepts have entered everyday speech. Slogans and public health warnings have shaped the way we live. Freedoms once taken for granted have been curtailed as across the world governments seek to control the virus. Plans, events, holidays and normal social life have all been put on hold. The 2020 we were expecting has been cancelled. 

But what if 2020 isn't cancelled, but turns out to be the most important year of them all? What if  this most unusual of years actually empowers and encourages change? What if, as Christians, we pray for the transformation of our church communities rather than settle for picking up the threads of a life that has ended? 

What if 2020 really does turn out to be not an ending but a new beginning?