LOVE IN THE TIME OF CORONA is Huddersfield Parish Church’s blog series that we’ll be keeping updated with posts from various members of our church in the coming days and weeks. We hope it will help you to stay connected to the church and to each other in this time of physical distancing as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Today’s blog post comes from Mike, one of our Churchwardens

Warden’s blog, stardate 23/5/2020 (Day 65)

Hello to all my friends from St Peter’s and further afield, I hope you enjoyed celebrating Ascension Day, whatever you did to mark it. It was a special day for one of our church family, but more on that later, I just enjoyed having a break from the readings at morning prayer from the Book of Numbers. I have found the readings quite difficult as they portray a God, who to put it mildly, has been vengeful towards Moses, Aaron and the Israelites as they journey through the wilderness. I hope we get some insights into this in the Bible Study group over the next week or two.

Another take on Ascension Day, I read on a friend’s post from Facebook was “that it was the first day that Jesus had worked from home”; a rather interesting take in the light of the current situation we find ourselves in at present.

I have had a busy, but uplifting, week this last week. The staff group met by Zoom on Monday, the wardens and Revd Rachel met by Zoom on Friday and I have been out with Jane to visit some of our community to deliver Giving Envelopes and, for some, distribute, albeit rather late in the day, Easter eggs to our Junior Church folk. We managed to have several “distanced” conversations with some of the HPC community and all seemed well and in reasonable spirits, which was most gratifying. It is fair to say though, that all were looking forward to the time when we can all meet at St Peter’s in person. We are asking people to use their envelopes and bring them back to church when it is safe to do so, or to sign up for regular giving by standing order if possible. More information about giving is on the website main menu.

Tuesday was rather disrupted by emergency calls from my parents and our Philip, simultaneously as it happened. We ended up travelling carefully to Eggborough and Howden to help. By the time we got there the two “emergencies” had been sorted, but we did get a chance to talk to Philip and then my parents, for whom we delivered a “Food Parcel” of chocolate goodies to pep them up. We returned home somewhat shattered.

Thursday was special for Graeme. I hope he won’t mind me mentioning it in my blog, but he heard that after his BAP meeting (by Zoom) he had been recommended for training for the ministry. I’m sure I speak for everyone, when I say well done Graeme, all our thoughts and prayers will go with you.

Friday was a good day for Jane and I. Philip had sat the first part of his Final exam in March just before lockdown and because of the coronavirus issues, the marking of the answers had taken much longer than normal to come through. He heard on Friday that he had passed. He will sit the second part in December and then be FRCA, just like his mum and dad. I hope you don’t mind me including that news in the church blog, but we are pleased for him.

The warden’s Zoom meeting was really useful as it gave Alan and I the opportunity of bringing items for discussion with Revd Rachel, which had been on the back burner, partly because of Simon’s leaving and partly because we had been working to plug the huge gap left by Paula’s passing. I must say I feel that despite the current virus issues, I do see a positive future for our church and community, and I look forward to the time when our planning (with the Holy Spirit’s guidance) comes to fruition.

A prayer for God’s guidance as we move forward with our plans:
Almighty Lord and everlasting God,
we ask you to direct, sanctify and govern both our hearts and bodies
in the ways of your laws and the works of your commandments;
that through your most mighty protection, both here and ever,
we may be preserved in body and soul;
through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

And the collect for Saturday:
O God the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven:
we beseech you, leave us not comfortless,
but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us
and exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.