Beloved in Christ

Next week’s service is the FEAST OF ST MARY. It is at 11am, at St Mary’s: we decided that it would be best for each of us to bring our drink and eats of our choice (rather than sharing).  We could remain in our pews after the service, and chat away on a holy babble, to catch up on our news.  We look forward to seeing YOU there!

Please see the important announcement regarding compulsory face masks as from tomorrow.  I have put it in RED.

Many churches have not re-opened for practical reasons, and we are surely grateful that we have, because we are able to manage our social distancing comfortably.  I urge all of us to keep that awareness at all times, specially on arrival and also during communion.

DO join us for a Zoom chat evey Wednesday evening at 8pm. It is proving to be a valuable time of sharing and developing together.

Readings this Sunday include these themes:

Go to a still place for personal prayer(or ask someone to pray with you – I volunteer!) if you are suffering from any one or all of these danger signal conditions: (They are taken from an AA programme but apply to every one of us!)

 HALT:

Hungry

Angry

Lonely

Tired

God’s voice comes in silence, not hectic activity

Do not be afraid.

Trusting in God for an outcome

Following Jesus

1 Kings 19: 9 to 1

Psalm 5: 8 to 13

Matthew 14: 22 to 33

Romans 10: 5 to 15

God bless you!

Please call if you would like to chat or for me to visit, specially if I have not come to your home yet.

Kathy Barrable

07552 503859

The First Minister announced in her daily briefing at lunchtime today that, as from tomorrow, the wearing of face coverings is to become mandatory in places of worship. This will obviously affect any church services taking place this weekend and until further notice.

Since the announcement at lunchtime, the formal Regulations have now been laid before the Scottish Parliament and apply from tomorrow. The issues of which to take note are as follows:The Scottish Episcopal Church’s Advisory Group Phase 3 guidance, as most recently revised earlier this week, currently “encourages” the wearing of face coverings. Clearly that must be stepped up and churches must now conform to the new law which takes precedence over the guidance. This means that, subject to exceptions mentioned below, those in church must wear face coverings. The exceptions are as follows:-

1.      The person leading the act of worship does not need to wear a covering provided that either there is partition (eg screen) between that person and anyone else or a distance of at least 2 metres is maintained between that person  and any other person. In practice therefore, if the clergyperson, lay reader or other person leading the service is sufficiently far away from the rest of the congregation (ie at least 2m) they need not wear a covering. Where that 2m distance cannot be maintained, a covering must be worn and so, for example, those administering Communion must wear a covering while doing so.

2.     The exemption also applies to “volunteers” in places of worship which would seem to allow that if a person is leading intercessions or reading from a lectern then they may remove their face covering provided the 2m distancing is maintained or a partition is in place. I would recommend however that any such volunteer should replace their covering as soon as they have finished the intercessions/reading or similar activity. The exemption should not be seen as a carte blanche for volunteers not to wear a covering, and so volunteers performing other functions should continue to wear one.

3.     Those excused from wearing a face covering include children under the age of 5 and people who cannot, without severe distress, put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment or disability.

4.      Coverings may be removed where necessary to seek medical assistance, or to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person.

All of these various requirements should also be applied for weddings and funerals.

The Scottish Government’s own guidance for Places of Worship is to be updated and will available during the course of tomorrow at: safe use of places of worship guidance. Under the Regulations published today, those responsible for a place of worship are now legally obliged to “have regard to” such guidance. The SEC Advisory Group’s guidance has from the outset endeavoured to reflect and apply, for the SEC context, previous versions of that Scottish Government guidance, and so tomorrow’s Government guidance should not contain any surprises.

The First Minister also announced today that the wearing of a visor is no longer to be regarded as an adequate face covering. The Advisory Group has in fact been considering that specific question this week. Essentially, a visor protects the person wearing it from airborne droplets. A conventional face covering, on the other hand, is designed to protect not the wearer but other people. Consequently, whilst visors can continue to be worn, they must now be supplemented by a face covering (unless covered by the above exceptions).