Message from Tim

At sixes not sevens

The recently imposed ‘rule of six’ is proving to be controversial and unpopular, putting a huge amount of pressure on large families, and the incitement to report infringements to the authorities threatens to undo a lot of the social coming together that has been a positive side-effect of the pandemic, potentially replacing it with a climate of suspicion and mistrust. That said, I do have a degree of sympathy for the government: they were heavily criticised for being too slow to lockdown in March, yet I do not hear those same voices supporting a lockdown now. As the government tries out a range of different responses, these inevitably have an impact on our lives, and I think people are to be commended for their largely stoic acceptance of what is happening, even if it is accompanied by entirely justifiable, good-humoured grumbling. Spare a prayer though for those whose lives have fallen apart through illness, bereavement, unemployment or domestic abuse. The social impact of what is going on is frightening…

For the time being at least, places of worship have been reprieved from being included in the legislation forbidding gatherings in excess of six people. Archbishop Justin Welby was the first to tweet this news on 9th September, saying that, ‘Worship is the work of God - not a social gathering – and gives the strength to love and serve.’ If you have been to a service of worship at church recently, you will appreciate that with people wearing masks and observing social distancing, worship is anything but a social gathering, and actually current restrictions mean that there is little, if any sense of coming together to worship; the experience is highly individualised, and I have a lot of sympathy for those who prefer to stay at home and drink a cup of coffee while they watch or listen to an online service!

Yet for all that it is absolutely right to say that worship gives people the strength to love and serve. Perhaps that is because worship lifts us out of our natural preoccupation with ourselves. If I am worshipping, I am looking beyond my own wants and needs and focusing on the greatness, the goodness and the graciousness of God. Since we become what we worship, celebrating God’s goodness and greatness inculcates these qualities within us, while being aware of his greatness lifts us up above the despair and defeatism that sometimes can threaten to engulf us. Simply put, worshipping the living God has the capacity to make us, not just better people, but also happier and even healthier people. Worship is good for you, so whether you are venturing out to church, or following our services at home, let me encourage you to prioritise worship in your life: it will help stop you running on empty.

I am not sure why Matt Hancock pressed for six as the maximum limit on social gatherings – was he once in the cub scouts, I wonder? Yet as I have visited people in recent weeks, I have been immensely encouraged to hear so many stories of people gathering in little groups in each other’s gardens. Those meetings have had such a positive impact on those who have been able to attend. It is easy to fall into the trap if supposing that ‘size matters’ when it comes to our meetings, but I suspect that the reality is rather that ‘small is beautiful’. Jesus said that wherever two or three gather in his name he has promised to be with us. The same applies if we meet in groups of six, but thankfully his invisible presence as the seventh person means that there is no need for the Covid-19 Secure Marshalls to get involved. While it is not possible for us all to gather together in a central location, we can still keep our fellowship alive and well by meeting in very small groups to support one other. And when you do, can I encourage you not to be backward in praying for each other, or sharing a verse of Scripture with one another? We are told not to fall out of the habit of meeting together (Hebrews 10:25). If you read that verse and the verses around it, you will see that there is no suggestion that the only right time and place to do this is in church on a Sunday morning. Whenever you greet each other in the name of Jesus – that’s church! And it’s really special.