Wednesday 29 April 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are beginning to see some easing of the lockdown restrictions with the opening of garden centres and hairdressers amongst other things. I'm sure that some parents may be very relieved that their children will hopefully be going back to school soon! However, there is no date mentioned yet for the opening of churches. There are discussions being held between the Swiss government and an ecumenical group of churches about what kind of guidelines will be needed when churches do open. The Diocese of Europe is also offering some guidelines. It is likely that even when St Ursula's opens again our church life will be rather different for some time with various strict regulations in place over what is possible and what is not. I will let you know more when I have clearer information. Meanwhile, let us continue to pray for one another and support one another in any way we can.

If you need something to cheer you, you might be interested in our 'light relief' page here.

You also might want to listen to this fabulous version of the Halleluiah Chorus from Handel's Messiah.
It was produced by a church in Wheaton, Illinois during lockdown and is both uplifting and fun.

I want to remind you that we have our online Pub Quiz Night, 7.30- 9.30pm, on Friday 8th May. You can register as a team or ask to be put into a team. Bring your own drinks and snacks! It should be a very enjoyable evening. If you would like to register, please contact office@stursula.ch. Any donations towards church funds would be appreciated. The maximum number is 60 and we have several people already registered, so if you are thinking about joining us do get in touch with the office soon.

Our Coffee Meetings take place every Wednesday morning at 10am and every Sunday at 11.30am. From this Sunday, I would like to suggest that during the Sunday meeting we have opportunity to share our thoughts and reflections on the readings and the sermon, so these meetings will be a little bit more focused. Our Wednesday morning coffee meetings will continue for general chat and sharing.

The Men's Bible Study Group will continue as usual at 10.45am on Sunday. Please let me know if you would like to participate.

Together with this email is a letter from Archana which includes suggestions for prayer during this challenging time. I am sure you will find this helpful. Thank you to Archana. Please continue to pray for her as she still suffers from bad headaches, even though they have improved a little.

I'm sure that, like me, you have been delighting in the spring, and all the life, colour and growth around us after the barrenness of winter. I am reminded of one of my favourite Easter hymns, 'Now the Green Blade Riseth', which speaks of Christ as the seed which dies in the ground only to come back to life again (based on John 12:24):

'Now the green blade riseth from the buried grain,
wheat that in the dark earth many days has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been:
  Love is come again,
  like wheat that springeth green.'

Because of Jesus' death and resurrection, we too have the promise of resurrected life. This is the joyful news of Easter. But this message of new life is not only relevant to the resurrection on the last day, but speaks to us about God's life-giving love now in the present, as the final verse of the hymn says:

'When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
thy touch can call us back to life again,
fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been:
  Love is come again,
  like wheat that springeth green. '

It may be that we need to hear that message for ourselves at the moment. But even if our own hearts are not 'wintry, grieving or in pain' we know that this is certainly true for very many people in our world. Let us use these words to pray for them.

May we all know the life giving touch of God in our hearts and lives.

With my love in Christ,
Helen