Coronavirus - updated details
Coronavirus guidance from the Methodist Church
As from Sunday 6th September 2020
Message from Zion Church Stewards
A big welcome to all on the occasion of the reopening of Zion Methodist Church for Sunday worship, as we begin to emerge from ‘lockdown’. The last service was held here on 15 March. Much has changed in those 25 weeks, but God is constant and it is good to meet together once more to praise and worship our Saviour.
Of course, it has been necessary to take a number of safety precautions, so please thoroughly read the safety leaflet provided. Your experience will be very different to the worship you were used to before ‘lockdown’; but we will nevertheless be in the presence of God, and able to worship in company with one another.
As from Sunday 19th July 2020
Boston Methodist Circuit is worshiping at Centenary - Sunday mornings @ 10.30am
Church leaders respond to the coronavirus pandemic (March 2020)
The
Revd Dr Barbara Glasson, together with Church leaders from denominations across
Britain and Ireland, have issued a statement in response to the ongoing crisis.
“God’s
world is in the midst of an unprecedented crisis. In the nations that make up
Britain and Ireland the Covid-19 virus continues to affect people at an
alarming rate, health services along with many of our institutions and
organisations, both local and national, are under extreme pressure and people
are getting used to living in a very different way, many in extreme isolation.
As with all such crises, there is a danger that the most vulnerable in society
will be most badly affected.
Christians
the world over are entering an important time in the church year as we look to
the events of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. At the centre of our
common faith are both the depths of despair and the heights of joy. In the
Bible and in the songs and liturgies of the Church, we see Jesus entering fully
into human suffering. In His rising again, that suffering is redeemed and
transformed into hope and joy. After Jesus’ death his disciples were afraid and
all seemed lost and hopeless, but the risen Christ met them in their despair
and restored hope through his victory over death. We pray that the world today
might know this hope in place of despair.
In the
Book of Daniel, we read about God’s people being taken into exile in Babylon.
Daniel could not pray in the Temple in Jerusalem, but he continued to pray in
exile – opening his window to face Jerusalem. Though he was on his own he
joined with the prayers of the people wherever they were. Now we too are
separated from each other physically, but when we pray in our homes we join in
with this ancient tradition of our home as a place of prayer. Wherever we are,
whenever we pray, when we speak and think of Christ, there he is in the midst
of us. We join our prayers with all those who pray in our own churches and communities
and around the world.
As
church leaders from across the many and varied churches of these Islands we
urge all people to join us in prayer this Holy Week and Easter; to pray for
those who suffer, those who face untimely death and all those who care for
them; to celebrate our common faith at a difficult time; to help and support
our neighbours in need; and to observe all the safeguards in place to slow the
spread of disease.”
Our
Prayer
Loving
God, in Jesus Christ, who died and rose again for our salvation, cast out the
darkness of our anxiety, fear and mourning, enfold us in your love and give us
joy and hope this Easter. Amen.
Message
from Rev Julie
Julie is writing a weekly pastoral letter. If you have already received this directly then she has
your email address! If not and you would like to in future, then drop her an
email.
This includes some resources for worship at home and
details of how to keep in touch via pastoral groups, Centenary on Sundays and
praying at 12 noon.
Follow this link for a home service sheet.
Coronavirus:
Care of yourself and those around you
https://www.methodist.org.uk/about-us/news/the-methodist-blog/coronavirus-taking-care-of-yourself-and-those-around-you/
Our increasing isolation, the bombardment of
negative and worrying news stories and concerns for those we love can heighten
anxiety levels and cause depression. Here are some resources that can boost
wellbeing and mental health to help build resilience at this difficult time.
Taking care of yourself and those around you
Each year at the beginning of lent we hear how
Jesus was led into the wilderness, where he was tested. The wilderness is of course an isolated
space; it becomes a testing place precisely because of the isolation. We believe that human beings were created to
live in relationship. Relationship with
one another and primarily with our Creator God.
So now in the lent of 2020 we find ourselves, more than ever,
understanding what Jesus went through – and we can be assured that God has
experience this too.
We read in the scriptures that in the
wilderness Jesus was tested by the devil.
The taunts of “the evil one” have echo of what we might experience
today: increasing isolation, bombardment
of negative and worrying news stories and concerns for the health of those we
love, can heighten anxiety levels and cause depression.
Here are some resources that that can boost
wellbeing and mental health to help build resilience at this difficult time.
Anxiety and
depression
The mental health charity, Mind has produced a
comprehensive set of resources:
