Some Relief from the Virus
St Ursula's Church, Berne
A Church of the Anglican Communion, welcoming all who seek the Lord Jesus Christ
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Here are some random less serious thoughts and ideas that we feel you might like.
Loving God, as your Son healed the sick
And brought good news to the needy,
Be with us this day.
Loving Jesus as you taught us to
'Do unto others as you would have them do to you'
Be with all the medical staff this day.
Loving spirit, your gift is healing,
Bring your healing fire to our homes, our hospitals and our county,
But most of all, be with us this day. Amen
What can the Ascension mean
In these our virus times?
It can become our sursum corda,
to lift up our hearts to the heavenly realm
to see Christ enthroned above,
beyond the transient, ephemeral world
of plagues and torments,
famine and wars.
But if, for a moment,
we can ascend in heart and mind with Christ
in his glorious home-coming
still we are timebound,
clothed in the garments of mortality.
Like disciples at the glory on the mount,
we have to make our way back down again,
face old problems,
confront new reality.
And so I call Ascension a sure promise,
a glimpse of the beyond,
that where Christ is, we will be too,
raised up in our transfigured humanity,
partakers in his life of love;
for now Lord, we are here
just where we are with all its dangers
mindful of many others in their sadness,
thankful for your words
"I will be with you always,
even to the end."
At the end of the third week of lockdown, James Morgan recorded some reflections on the Coronavirus situation which will give many of us a fresh and helpful outlook on the crisis.
Malcolm Guite has written a new poem for this Easter, which Helen recommends. You can read it here.
Show me, O anchoress, your anchor-hold
Deep in the love of God, and hold me fast.
Show me again in whose hands we are held,
Speak to me from your window in the past,
Tell me again the tale of Love's compassion
For all of us who fall into the mire,
How he is wounded with us, how his passion
Quickens the love that haunted our desire.
Show me again the wonder of at-one-ment
of Christ-in-us distinct and yet the same,
Who makes, and loves, and keeps us in each moment,
And looks on us with pity, not with blame.
Keep telling me, for all my faith may waver,
Love is his meaning, only love, forever.
by Malcolm Guite . See Helen's reflections on Mother Julian
Will we remember how it was then?
The shops were shut, the streets were empty,
Businesses and schools were closed,
In the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty.
The weather was fine, the sun shone bright,
The birds sang and the flowers bloomed,
But the news was grim, it was not alright,
The feeling was that we were doomed.
Will we remember how some turned to despair
And how the days seemed so terribly long?
Or will we remember how clean was the air,
How sweet the sound of the blackbird’s song?
Will we remember the kindness felt
The tireless work of hospital staff,
The gifts of food the charities dealt,
The relief when somebody made us laugh?
Or will we slip back into the old ways,
Of selfishness, greed, and terrible waste,
Wars and thinking that crime pays,
Duty and work that refuse to be faced.
Could this be a warning, a message to Man,
For us to learn lessons, do better, live well?
If we can remember how it was , then we can.
There is hope for us all, only time will tell.
Sheila Berger, April 2020
Alan and Clare Amos have led quiet days and retreats for us at St Ursula's. Follow this link to some poetry by Alan relevant to the current situation.
We went to sleep one night
And woke in the morning light
To a different world:
Despite spring leaves unfurled,
Sweet birdsong and the dawn so bright,
Things had changed, overnight.
Disney's flights of fantasy are no more
Truth tells us this is war:
As countries close the door
Cities empty like Mecca, echoing shells;
China's ancient fortress, the Great Wall
Can't seem to stop this deadly fall.
Hugs and kisses turn to acts of fear
Friends and family visits, dear
To us; cut short for isolation's sake
Hoping for new awareness in its wake;
Power, leadership and wealth take leave
When fighting for the lungs we need to breathe.
The news I think is clear
In the quietness of our isolated days
New found and simpler ways
Teach us to remember:
We are just guests, not bosses in this fragile place
Where clean water, air and mother earth we hope
Will win the race, with God's good grace!
Rewritten from prose into verse
Judith Josi Calderwood May 2020
Yes there is fear.
Yes there is isolation.
Yes there is panic buying.
Yes there is sickness.
Yes there is even death.
But,
They say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise
You can hear the birds again.
They say that after just a few weeks of quiet
The sky is no longer thick with fumes
But blue and grey and clear.
They say that in the streets of Assisi
People are singing to each other
across the empty squares,
keeping their windows open
so that those who are alone
may hear the sounds of family around them.
They say that a hotel in the West of Ireland
Is offering free meals and delivery to the housebound.
Today a young woman I know
is busy spreading fliers with her number
through the neighbourhood
So that the elders may have someone to call on.
Today Churches, Synagogues, Mosques and Temples
are preparing to welcome
and shelter the homeless, the sick, the weary
All over the world people are slowing down and reflecting
All over the world people are looking at their neighbours in a new way
All over the world people are waking up to a new reality
To how big we really are.
To how little control we really have.
To what really matters.
To Love.
So we pray and we remember that
Yes there is fear.
But there does not have to be hate.
Yes there is isolation.
But there does not have to be loneliness.
Yes there is panic buying.
But there does not have to be meanness.
Yes there is sickness.
But there does not have to be disease of the soul
Yes there is even death.
But there can always be a rebirth of love.
Wake to the choices you make as to how to live now.
Today, breathe.
Listen, behind the factory noises of your panic
The birds are singing again
The sky is clearing,
Spring is coming,
And we are always encompassed by Love.
Open the windows of your soul
And though you may not be able
to touch across the empty square,
Sing.
Samuel says: "This is the cross of Jesus at the Church!"
Thank you Isabelle and Mark (and the Lego Aktieselskab)
Helen passes on the following (from Peter, from Caroline):
Just been hearing a lot about people starting to show signs of cracking up from this lockdown...so please be careful!
Actually I've just been talking about this with the microwave and toaster while drinking coffee and we all agreed that things are getting bad. I didn't mention anything to the washing machine as she puts a different spin on everything. Certainly not to the fridge as he is acting cold and distant. In the end the iron straightened me out as she said everything will be fine, no situation is too pressing.
The vacuum was very unsympathetic... told me to just suck it up, but the fan was more optimistic and hoped it would all soon blow over! The toilet looked a bit flushed when I asked its opinion and didn’t say anything but the door knob told me to get a grip. 😃 The front door said I was unhinged and so the curtains told me to ........yes, you guessed it 🙄.....pull myself together'