Yesterday was a momentous day in the life of St Stephen’s because it was the first Sunday since March 15th when congregations could gather for the service.
Oh, but there are rules – always so many rules. Social-distancing and pew placement meant that a church with a footprint greater than that of Heathrow Airport can only seat 27 souls for services. The combined Liturgies of the Hand Sanitiser, Face Mask and the Non-Peace added to the first communal Eucharist and it was good!
Never one to be elitist, I have tried very hard to cater for all people. Online worship is just dandy if you have an online, but if you don’t have an online and are barred from church, what else is there (apart from the BBC)? Yes, the Bakelite telephone in the corner! We were delighted to trial (I think successfully) that facility allow the non-online and the non-present to telephone into the service and hear the detached voices voices of Father and the detached organ-playing of one Mr. Hunter. and so it was that we welcomed half a dozen souls to a service on telephone – another new departure in this virus-ridden age.
I remain hopeful, though, that we see one or two more face-to-face-with-pulse Christians in church in the not-too-distant future