Comment by Harborough churches: What will it be like when we are allowed to gather together again?

Viewpoint by Rev Stephen Haward

Minister, Market Harborough Congregational Church

Heather Knight is captain of the England women’s cricket team. In a radio interview this week, she said how delighted she was to be picking up a bat again as net practice resumes. ‘But after all this time, will you know one end of a bat from the other?’ the interviewer asked.

That was quite a rude question! I do wonder whether a male player would have been asked it, even in jest. But in my position as church minister, I could ask something similar of myself.

Heather said the lockdown was the longest time she had not picked up a cricket bat since she was ‘eight years old’. Well, in normal times most people in our church would expect if they missed a single Sunday to be back the next week. Just as for the sportsperson, worship for us is a discipline as well as a delight.

Of course, like other faith groups, we have still been having services online and keeping things going in all kinds of ways. Fortunately God does not live in places of worship, however pretty their windows or pointy their architecture.

So that is fine.

But as the weeks roll into months, what will it be like when we are allowed to gather together again? How rusty will we be? I am looking forward to proper services, but I think we are going to find them quite difficult. Singing is going to feel odd, for example, after all our concern about the aerosol effect of such things. Perhaps I won’t know one end of a bat from the other, after all.

And that applies to some other activities as well. It may be years before people are able truly to relax in theatres and cinemas, for example. We will still have an epidemic of anxiety to deal with when coronavirus is finally shown the door.

Abba used to sing ‘lay all your love on me’, but it says in the Bible that there is someone who can help us by taking on not just our love, but our worries and our fears also. ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything … let your requests be made known to God’. That’s from someone called Paul, and he was locked up in prison at the time, which rather puts my own worries in perspective.

So have a peaceful week everyone. We all have our anxieties, but they do not need to overwhelm us or to spoil our life together for ever. I look forward so much to seeing people again in our cafés and concert halls, our sportsgrounds and libraries and hotels - and in churches, synagogues, mosques and temples also. Can’t wait!

Rev Stephen Haward

Minister, Market Harborough Congregational Church