Happy Easter everyone! And, following the decision to resume services in Church, I look forward greatly to seeing at least some of you back in Church over the coming month – even though we’re still not able to sing! I sincerely hope though that everyone has felt “in touch” with the Church over these last few months and that you have been enjoying and appreciating the online services, including Compline, and the wonderful Sunday Sheets put together by Margaret Cross and other members of the Ministry Team. Along with most other Churches we will be continuing with monthly online services – two per month in our case – and this is one very positive, and creative, aspect of the overall lockdown situation which we must not forget or diminish in importance. It has been a very difficult period for all of us, in lots of different ways, but in some respects I think that we’ve probably all emerged stronger and more committed and resilient in our faith. And those wonderfully encouraging words from St Paul have been ringing in my ears throughout this whole time: “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord.” We haven’t been able to meet together, to share hospitality with one another, to properly comfort one another, to rejoice with one another...........but we are still bound together so tightly with one another in and through the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. This understanding of our Christian faith has certainly helped me during these last few months, and over this whole year, and was very much in my heart and mind last month as we remembered and reflected on the last year on the National Day of Reflection. And now we enter the season of Easter – a time of such profound joy and hope for Christians across the world, some of whom are suffering greatly not only from the Pandemic but also from persecution and violence. So, to paraphrase St Paul, let us continue to run the race in fortitude and with courage, filled with faith, hope and love – and the greatest of these is love. Thank you for all your commitment, patience and love during these very trying months. May God’s richest blessing be upon us all throughout this coming month. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed – Alleluia! The Revd Alec Brown.
Dear friends, I was looking back at my letter last April when we were at the start of the very first lockdown. At that time I described how I felt that my heart was breaking with the church being closed, my school being closed and being unable to hug and be with family and friends. Now, we are hopeful that we are moving forward. We will be, God willing, worshipping in church on Easter Day and on the road out of Lock down. We have been and continue to go through devastating times with the loss of life and the loss of things we have always taken for granted like being close to people, eating a meal with friends and giving a hug but there is hope. As Christians, we have moved from the devastation of Good Friday and become Easter People – People of Hope I love the Easter Story, the women in the garden first thing, Peter`s encounter with Jesus following his denial and the two men walking with Jesus on the road to Emmaus One of my favourite exchanges is between Jesus and Mary Magdalene on Easter morning. You all know how much I love Mary. She was with the last people at the cross and she is first there on Easter morning. Whilst the disciples had fled and hidden away, she had shown up. She does not know where the body has gone from the tomb and sees Jesus but thinks he is the gardener. He then says “Mary” and she immediately knows its Jesus. She reaches to him. What a heart stopping moment after the horror of Good Friday. Jesus calls Mary by name. It echoes the words in Isaiah, “ Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name and you are mine.” That applies to each of us. We are called by name and we are God`s. We are loved with an everlasting and unconditional love. God, in Jesus loves his church but he loves each of us as individuals. He calls us each by name. Mary wanted to hug and hold onto Jesus like she had done before but Jesus says she must not hold onto him. We can empathise with Mary`s desire and how she must have felt not to have been able to. Mary then ran to the disciples “ I have seen the Lord.” Mary Magdalene the apostle to the apostles” The early apostles turned the world upside down – I pray that we will have the desire to do likewise. Perhaps be more like Jesus and break the rules. I pray that you all continue to stay safe, that you will continue to reflect on how incredibly loved you are and to continue to live in the hope of the resurrection – remembering as Christians we are people of the resurrection in a Good Friday world.. Love Christina
Dear friends You know by now my fascination with “The Repair Shop.” You will be pleased to know, that for Christmas, I was bought a copy of the book based on the series. In it, you learn in more detail about the background to the various items that feature in the series. The first chapter related to a pump organ that was brought over from Jamaica by Vera Mackenzie who was emigrating to join her husband Mac. Over time the organ was a comfort as the family were homesick and faced unimaginable racism. The expert ensured that the organ was restored and could be treasured for generations to come. When Vera and Mac died, their daughter received a message “You will only die when every person you have ever known has died.” This particularly struck me as I read it on the 19th January, the day when 1610 people died after testing positive for Covid. I worked out that even if you just said out loud the 1st and last names of these people, it would take you just under 25 minutes to finish. Sometimes we see these figures as statistics but each person is loved and will have left family and friends who are heartbroken. In my article last February I mentioned Nadia Bolz Weber who is a Lutheran Pastor and over the summer I reread one of her books “Accidental Saints”. In it she writes about Ash Wednesday, which heralds the start of Lent and this year falls on 17th February. Usually at our Ash Wednesday Service there is the imposition of ashes to the forehead with the words “Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return, turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ.” Nadia writes, “Here`s my image of Ash Wednesday. If our lives were a long piece of fabric with our baptism on one end and our funeral on another and we don`t know the distance between the two, then Ash Wednesday is a time when that fabric is pinched in the middle and the ends are held up so that our baptism in the past and our funeral in the future meet. And in that meeting we are reminded of the promises of God. That we are God`s, that there is no sin, no darkness and yes no grave that God will not come to find us in and love us back to life.” Words I am holding onto at the moment. God is present at the moment we enter the world and the moment we leave it. With love, prayers and blessings Christina
National lockdown 3 and the closure of Great Budworth Church (and Arley Chapel)Unlike the first and second national lockdowns, during which churches and other places ofworship had to close for public worship, this third lockdown has allowed choice, with anexemption for communal worship, funerals and weddings (the last under exceptionalcircumstances only).After consultation however with all members of the Ministry Team and the StandingCommittee of the PCC, and following the Plough Service on Sunday 10 th , which was attendedby only a very few parishioners (and a couple of local visitors) we have decided to close thechurch for public worship for the time being, in line with many other churches locally andnationally. In making this very difficult decision, we have been very conscious of the anxietyand concern of many regular parishioners, and the worsening situation in the North Westwith regard to Covid-19 infections. We know this will be a disappointment to some but weare very conscious of our responsibilities in terms of public health and adherence to thegovernment’s guidelines and advice. Please however be assured that online services willcontinue, on a weekly basis from now on, as will the distribution electronically of theSunday Sheet. And we will of course be reviewing this situation after the next governmentannouncements in mid-February. The church will however remain open for private prayeron Sundays only, from 11am to 4pm, for local visitors.We have also made the decision to suspend communal worship at St Mary’s Chapel, ArleyHall for the time being. This will also be reviewed in February.Please be assured of our continuing thoughts and prayers for you all at this very worryingand stressful time. If you’d like to speak to any of us please do not hesitate to contact us.The Revd Alec Brown and the Ministry Team.12 th January, 2021.
