Dear friends

  I guess like most of us you have politicians and experts talking about how we are living in uncharted times. This is of course absolutely true. It’s also true for the church. One of my colleagues asked on Facebook if the churches in Britain had ever been closed, the answer given, vaguely, was perhaps in 1918. That may or may not be the case, but the answer not in my lifetime probably resonates with the vast majority of us. But is the church closed?  Our buildings most definitely are at present, but, the church is not the building, rather it is the people of God.  In that sense our churches are still very much open for business.  The challenge for us during this crisis, is how can we be church today? This is nothing new for God’s people. Many of you, if you cast your minds back to 1978, will remember Boney M singing about “The Rivers of Babylon” The lyrics were lifted straight from the Book of Psalms and speak of challenges encountered by God’s people in exile

¹By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

² We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

³ For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion

⁴ How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? (Ps 137:1-4)

We find ourselves in a strange land.  Some of you will find themselves in a state of forced isolation, with all that entails; not least the lack of companionship; almost all of us will have been confronted with supermarket aisles with shelves bearing no food; some of us will have concerns about health and susceptibility to infection, either for ourselves or our loved ones; some of us will have to bear the disappointment of cancelling and rescheduling family events or holidays. It true to say that there is scarcely a single aspect of our lives is the same as it was just under a week ago.  The challenge for us, is how can we be church in these times when we cannot meet together?

We can still support and encourage one another; hopefully your elder has been in touch to check that you are bearing up, and to see if there is anything we can do to support you.  We too can pick up the phone to chat with one another – remember a telephone works in two directions, don’t wait for someone to phone you – they may be waiting for you to phone them.  Don’t forget your neighbours either, as Jesus reminded His followers, “Whatsoever you did for the least of these, you did for me”.  One of the gratifying things we have observed during these early days is that communities are supporting one another. I hope that once this has passed, as it surely will, we will continue to enjoy that sense of community.  In an effort to continue to support our community, our foodbank will continue to help the most vulnerable for as long as we have a stock of food to do so. The listening lounge is now available as a telephone service, where a listening ear will be available for anyone who needs someone to talk to. In a similar manner, I know that many in our community came into our shop for a chat or prayer, and will greatly miss that support, to enable us to continue to support you a new phone is being organised for you to keep receiving that vital support from us.

We can pray, for neighbours, for our politicians, for all who are working tirelessly to support others throughout this crisis, our NHS staff, for scientists, for key workers and for ourselves that we might be sustained through all of this. At the end of this message I have appended a prayer written by Rev Colin Sinclair, the outgoing Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which I would encourage you to use.

We can worship. Many of us are grappling with the technologies available to us in order that we might be able to produce some kind of weekly media message to encourage you (You will have guessed I’m not there yet! Hopefully next week!!).  I have to say that fills me with a certain amount of trepidation – those who know me will know that I view the video camera as the tool of the devil!! I do have a great deal of sympathy for Father McKenzie, made famous in the words of the Beatles song “Eleanor Rigby”  as he was “Writing the words of a sermon that no-one will hear, No-one comes near”. But that is the challenge to each of us – How can we be church today? In the meantime there are any number of resources available to us, to feed our spirits during this time, whether it be on TV, radio, the internet, or perish the thought – in books! A word of caution however, just because someone says something on TV or posts it online, doesn’t make it true.  Please check everything you read or hear against the word of God contained in the Bible.

Please be assured that God has not given up on His world. These are difficult times, but He promises never to leave us nor forsake us. Please be sensible and adhere the advice given by the government and World Health Organisation, they are given to protect you and your loved ones.  Keep safe.

Rev Graham Raeburn

Rev Colin Sinclair – Prayer for Coronavirus.

Living God,

In our hour of need we turn again to you, for we have nowhere else to turn. We put our faith in you, because you have proved your faithfulness time and again.
We reaffirm our love for you because you have never let us go.
We thank you that you are not distant from us but have drawn near, in your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
He has shared our life, tasted our death and defeated it;
He understands our worries and our fears.
Help us to respond as your children now.
We pray for this pandemic spreading across our world,
remembering all who have lost loved ones and praying for those seriously ill at this time.
We uphold the National Health Service as it responds to this added pressure on its already overstretched services.
We pray for doctors and nurses and all in the caring professions, who work to help and support people as best they can.
We remember those working behind the scenes testing samples, confirming results, giving information to patients.
We uphold others trying to understand this virus better, working to create an effective remedy.
We pray for our Governments in Westminster and Holyrood, as they work with the best medical advice to guide us on how we should respond and what action we should take.
We pray that these guidelines might be taken seriously and that all would put them into action.
May this crisis bring out the best in us, not the worst.
Help us to live by faith and not by fear; to build bridges not barriers, and to resist all who would speak ill of any other group.
May we not forget our responsibility to one another, not least to the vulnerable and voiceless in our communities.
Help us to find ways of keeping in touch and offering reassurance to those with underlying health issues; for any who feel particularly vulnerable or in danger at present.
As the virus spreads we pray for the disruption it causes to normal life, bringing new fears and anxieties:
We pray for those who have been laid off as their work disappears; for financial hardship for individuals and businesses; for the impact on the economy and pensions, when austerity has already left its mark.
We pray for those whose trips, both for business and pleasure, have been cancelled; and others where events, long anticipated and planned for, have been postponed; for those making contingency planning for home based work or child care or exams.
May our inconvenience not blind us to others’ loss.
We remember those who cannot visit loved ones in locked-down care homes; for the elderly whose social contacts have been severely curtailed; help us to find creative ways of keeping in touch, of assuring them they are not forgotten or ignored.
May congregations find new ways of living though this time.
May we not forget our faith, but draw strength from it. So may our worship be heartfelt, our fellowship deepen and our service increase. God of grace and God of mercy, hear our prayers at this time.
Strengthen us, by your Spirit, so that: we may carry on our lives as best as we are able, looking out for others, showing love in action, being faithful in prayer, and bringing encouragement, hope and peace; always trusting in you our Rock and our Redeemer.

These prayers we bring to you in Jesus’ name.

Amen.