Churches across UK deliver Mother’s Day services online as Brits self-isolate over coronavirus fears

Churches across UK deliver Mother’s Day services online as Brits self-isolate over coronavirus fears
NewsColony

CHURCHES across the UK banned mass worship and yesterday delivered their Mothering Sunday services online.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, gave the Church of England’s first virtual Sunday service.

Branding these “strange and difficult” times he said the UK was caught between the need to “keep life going” and “necessary imposed isolation”.

His service, recorded in the crypt chapel at Lambeth Palace in London, was broadcast across 39 local BBC radio stations.

It came as churches across the country delivered their own Sunday services to mass audiences over the internet.

The archbishop’s service featured prayers, hymns recorded by St Martin’s Voices from St Martin-In-The-Fields, and a short sermon.

He began: “Good morning to all of you in this strange and difficult time in the life of our world.

“Today is Mothering Sunday, a day when, traditionally, all went back to their mother church, to the place where they were nurtured, loved and formed into the ways of God.

“Nowadays, of course, we also often celebrate Mother’s Day, a day to thank those who have mothered us in all the ways that we needed to be cared for.

“It is usually a day of celebration, when we draw together with family and loved ones.

“And so this day is a strange one for those of us in the United Kingdom and indeed in most of the world, where we are drawn between our need to keep life going, to celebrate relationships and kindness, and the fear and the necessary imposed isolation that we face.

“This is a day when we are not able to go and see those we love, or care for loved ones considered to be vulnerable or at risk.”

‘THERE IS MUCH TO CELEBRATE’

Mr Welby said the service had been recorded at Lambeth Palace “with the absolutely minimum number of staff keeping appropriate social distancing and no congregation”.

He went on: “At difficult times we have a choice. We can focus on fear, on ourselves and what we cannot do.

“Or we can turn to God and let God lead us into praying for the world, and let prayer flow into us, taking creative and loving action.

“That’s what we want to do today, to remind ourselves that life carries on and that there is much to celebrate in our communities.”

The Church of England and Church of Scotland banned mass worship this week as the Government called for an end to mass gatherings.

Catholic churches adopted a similar approach to encourage people to maintain social distance to slow the spread of the virus.

The Reverend David Meakin, of Aylesbury, said the church was having to work out “an entirely new way of doing things”.

He said: “The Second World War didn’t shut the churches, but this has, so we’re in day three of trying to work out what we’re going to do.

“Stick a laptop somewhere and you can broadcast on Facebook within seconds, it’s very straightforward, even if it won’t be high quality.

“I think some will value it – frankly, even if a few access it, it’s still worth doing.”

But vicar Simon Beach, 61, accidentally set fire to his arm with a church candle as he got to grips with his virtual service in Plymouth.

Mr Beach, vicar of St Budeaux Parish Church in Plymouth, was not harmed during the mishap and posted the “out-take” online.

In the video, Mr Beach is seen leaning in to deliver the final part of his sermon before exclaiming calmly: “Oh dear, I’ve just caught fire.”

Funeral directors are also beginning to offer families free live streams of their loved one’s cremations.

Martin Rowley, who runs Rowley & Sons, in York, is offering to pay the £62 fee which York Crematorium usually charges for services to be broadcast online.

A candle lit by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in the window of Lambeth Palace in London

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Pastor mocks coronavirus fears and says his church will ‘only close for the Rapture’ because it isn’t for ‘pansies’

Source : The Sun | NewsColony: World News

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