Yes - I find masks uncomfortable and stuffy, and they steam up my specs, but I
always wear mine in places where they are encouraged, not so much for my own
safety as out of consideration for others. I think a lot of people feel the
same way, which is another very good reason for keeping sermons short and
services brief at the moment.
If people are listening to, rather than singing hymns, it can become
uncomfortable if they are sitting for a long time. I have therefore given
congregations other opportunities for them to stand in the service. The prayers
of thanksgiving are one place where people can be invited to "stand up and
bless the Lord", and in a Communion service I invite people to stand for the
Peace. No hugs or handshakes, of course, so I ask the folk on one side to join
me in saying "The peace of the Lord be always with you" to those on the other
side, who then reply "and also with you." I suspect quite a few people prefer
this anyway to wandering round and greeting everyone.
I don't like grovelling confessions and prefer those that are more a statement
of God's love for us even if we don't always get things right. And like you,
Raymond, I find when I disagree with the theology of a sermon it at least makes
me think more about my own!
Blessings
John Barnett (also 10 years a supernumerary)
On 28 August 2021 at 11:14 raygarfoot <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:ret what I hear!
I find wearing masks for a long time very uncomfortable and avoid going
to places where I should wear one. That includes church. I don't get a lot
out of going in any case because services are too bland, I don't like the
theology or poetry of most hymns whether old or new, and we are not supposed
to have coffee and conversation afterwards, which is the part I like most! I
even wonder what the purpose of worship is, and the liturgy turns me off,
whether it is written or extemporary. For example, why do we always have to
begin a service with a prayer of confession which is just a form of words?
And the communion liturgies that we use do not make the real meaning of
communion at all clear. Most preachers, whether lay or ordained, give a very
superficial interpretation of the Bible, either because they are trained to
do so or they are afraid to do otherwise. That said, there is always some
benefit in attending church, even if it is only to remind me of how I would
reinterp
Best wishes,
Raymond Garfoot (supernumerary now for 10 years!)
