I am pleased to say that we are getting ready to reopen the doors of our church building for meetings to restart. I hope that we shall be ready for the morning service of 12th July. We won't be restarting everything at once but going step-by-step. In the meantime, our online ministry will continue and those unable to come in person will be able to join our meetings online...
We were out the other day for an afternoon walk in the woods. A couple were sitting on a bench and, as we passed, a snippet of their conversation caught my ear, 'But how do I know what to believe? They are the ones who write the history'. What an interesting conversation! What an important question! I'd like to know what had gone before and what came after. But just that one sentence reminded me afresh of the perils of living in a time where the idea of truth has been so undermined...
Listening today to the Prime Minister's statement to Parliament and his subsequent briefing at Downing Street, there is a sense of relief mixed with caution as we move towards a further lifting of the measures necessary because of coronavirus. We've lived for months under the weight of rules and guidelines which have severely curtailed our freedoms, but we've done so willingly and out of necessity for the sake of one another's health and the wider good of society...
Like many, I hope that as the vast, ominous clouds of the COVID-19 pandemic gradually disperse we shall still be able to see some of the silver linings. For instance, we have seen traffic levels decline and so accidents on the road and levels of local pollution have fallen dramatically. Global emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere have been cut by significant amounts. More people are exercising and taking the opportunity to make changes for better in their lifestyle. Lots of homeless people have been provided with accommodation...
So, as of Monday, face coverings are compulsory on public transport in England. The rules, on the gov.uk website, are crystal clear...
"From 15 June 2020, it is the law that you must wear a face covering when travelling in England on a: