Looking forward to meeting in church

We are back in fellowship

Through the many emails that I now receive from our church in Manchester keeping us abreast of issues, news, and events, I learnt we were now having in-person congregational services in the church cathedral. I do not know when that was reinstituted, but I do remember it is something I have missed during this pandemic year.

It was almost midnight and I was not sure if I felt it safe enough to attend. In any case, I logged on EventBrite, the ticket booking app and registered to attend the Sung Eucharist this morning. However, well into the morning, I had not convinced myself it was something I wanted to do.

Then out of bed I leapt, had a shower and dressed up as if ready to go. By the time, it seemed I might just do it, it was 15 minutes to the start of service that will take almost a 20-minute walk. One of the stays on my mask came apart and in the flux of the moment, I decided, it was better to watch the service on Facebook Watch on my television.

Remembering the times

At communion, I recognised a number of acquaintances, it was not a busy service and I could see myself attending next Sunday. It was literally a year ago on the 8^th of March that I attended the last service in person before my concerns about pandemic safety kept me away the next Sunday after which the country went into full lockdown until the month of July.

I do hope that this is the beginning of some return to a kind of normalcy, I was last in church on the 1^st of November, just before the second major lockdown. 10 days after my first vaccine jab, I should begin to feel a bit safe whilst not dispensing of the essential COVID-19 safety measures. There is hope and possibility beyond what we see today.