Message from Tim

 

Now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face

For some reason it is always the King James version of 1 Corinthians 13:12 that sticks in my mind. While the apostle is comparing our present knowledge of God with the face to face encounter we will have with him in heaven, his words also seem particularly apposite as I ponder our return to ‘face to face’ worship at Brighton Road – or maybe ‘mask to mask’ might be a better description of what worship on our premises might look like as we begin to return.

Lots of people (both those who ‘belong’ to the church and those who don’t) are asking me about when ‘normal’ worship will resume. The answer is that we aim to return to holding 10.30 morning services from 23rd May onwards. There are two reasons for selecting that date: it is the first Sunday after ‘Step 3’ on the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown, and it is also Pentecost Sunday, the day on which, appropriately enough, we celebrate the birthday of the church.

Ask me what church will look like on that Sunday though, and that is when I find myself trying to peer through tinted windows which reflect the light, and my answer is I don’t know. I have lots of questions I can’t answer. Will social distancing still be in place? Will we have to wear masks? Will we be allowed to sing? Who will be there and who will prefer to stay at home? Will we have enough room to accommodate everyone who wants to come? Will the government change the guidelines for places of worship for that Sunday? If so, how much notice will they give us about what the new guidelines will be? Will the new guidance make sense?

So, what can I tell you? I am due to lead worship, and Ian Pinnock is due to speak. The theme of the service will be on Pentecost. We aim to make the service accessible to all ages. You will probably need to book in to tell us you are coming. You will need to come in through the New Street entrance. There probably won’t be coffee. We probably won’t be allowed to stay and chat to each other. We will probably have to record the name and contact details of everyone who attends. We intend to livestream this service. Oh – and one other thing, which is really important. If you do come, we will definitely be delighted to see you!

But on the basis of what I can see through the looking-glass, I think I can safely say that 23rd May probably won’t look or feel like ‘normal’ worship. You may feel more comfortable staying at home and watching the livestream and/or the pre-recorded service, which will continue to be available online, on CD and DVD for the next few weeks. If that is the case, I do want to assure you that you should feel free to do so with a clear conscience. Church is not about being in a certain place at a certain time on a certain day. It is about being in relationship with God and with each other.

We have talked about BRBC being an extended family, and I like the phrase (though I realise that not everyone warms to it). If you were to ask me how often all of my ‘extended family’ (meaning my siblings, our children and grandchildren, together with their respective partners) meet together, my answer would be no more than once every ten years, and without the gravitational pull of a wedding or a funeral it probably wouldn’t happen at all. But we are still family. We still belong to each other.

The same, I feel, is true of church. Does it matter whether you are first in the queue to come on 23rd May or whether you are more of a ‘distant relation’? I am not sure it does. If we are all part of God’s extended family, I don’t think it is right to equate ‘belonging’ with ‘attendance’. But that raises a question (well, five questions, actually) I’d like to put to you about what belonging to a church actually means in practice. Do you feel as though you ‘belong’ to Brighton Road? If so, in what way does that find expression? And if you don’t feel you ‘belong’, then what is the reason for that? Would you like to belong? Is there something you – or we – should be doing about it?