Dear Friends,
You will be able to find on YouTube our Communion for St Peter’s Day if you follow the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhQs6IOE0AE
It has been a long time without the sacraments during this period of lockdown and so I very much hope that you will find it helpful to be able to use this video to make your spiritual communion with God, through Jesus, in this virtual way. That is always a good thing to do, and to do this remembering St Peter’s Day enables those of us who are part of that church to pray more tangibly for each other and to know that we belong together as a church.
Those who, in actual time, worship in another church are offered the opportunity, on a Red Letter day – a feast day of the church, to give thanks for the Apostle and Martyr, Peter, and to seek his prayers for us.
For those of you who are shielding, or very elderly and frail, or vulnerable, this service (with the Eucharist of Ascension Day that we posted on YouTube in May) will keep you feelingly and spiritually in communion with God, until you are able to return to the sacraments.
The video services will continue as a ‘new normal’ part of our weekly worship offering. It is clear that many are watching them and that’s really good. We don’t want to lose that interest in God.
Today there is simply a poem, by Malcolm Guite, for you to ponder on prayerfully after the Gospel reading in this Communion service. There will be a more substantial reflection on St Peter and us, based on Matthew 16: 13-19, with Jesus asking, ‘Who do people say that I am?’, in tomorrow’s (Sunday) video service.
Also on Sunday, at 10am, we re-open St Peter’s for public worship. Do come if you can. Due safety precautions will be fully in place. You will asked to keep the usual 1 – 2 metres from anyone other than your family members or partners. Sanitising is available just inside the south door, and everyone is asked to make use of this when entering and leaving the church. Canon Sue Wallace, recently Canon Precentor at Winchester Cathedral, will preach to us about St Peter and us.
We can not yet sing, sadly, but I am hoping that some music can be played, at the Peace greeting we can smile at each other, whilst refraining from touch, for obvious reasons.
It is best at the moment not to use the communion rail, so you can either line up in the central aisle and receive communion in one kind (wine, I’m afraid, still may not be shared) whilst standing, or if you raise your arm I shall gladly bring communion to you in your seat.
We are still advised not to share coffee or other drinks, but the loo will be available.
Enjoy this service. May it help to bring you closer to God.