Kia ora e te whanau
Lockdown week 2 – and what fantastic weather we’ve had, haven’t we? I hope you’ve managed to get outside and enjoy some time in the open air – even if you haven’t been able to head off to the mountains to ski, or to the beach to surf. I’ve realised how much I love August, with its hints of spring just coming. Working at home means I have appreciated our garden a whole lot more than usual – I have really enjoyed noticing the 2 trees currently in blossom, along with all the other spring flowers starting to come. There’s a sense of anticipation which I love – hints that warmer weather isn’t far away, hints of longer daylight!
What are you noticing more about your environment because you’re grounded at home?
On the other hand, I have realised that I miss the work environment at Church House – I miss the casual chats with the other staff over coffee, the meetings to process and plan, the people who drop in, and the constant streams of students walking past along Ilam Road. Strangely, I even miss the constant background hum of Callum’s music from the office next to mine! I’m reminded that even someone who sits on the introvert end of the spectrum still needs people around them! (Although, I have gained the benefit of morning coffees and lunches with Carol)
What are you finding that you’re missing most? What are you making a note to appreciate more when lockdown eventually ends?
By the weekend we will have more idea of what the next few weeks might start to look like for us all here in Christchurch. I’m not going to speculate about what lockdown alert levels we might be in for the weeks ahead – there’s enough of that on the radio and in the media generally without more from me! However, I did want to remind you of how we planned that Sunday church would look like for us last year at each alert level.
Alert Levels 3 and 4: “Ilam at Home” along with regular “Ilam on Zoom” options
Alert Level 2: “Ilam in Groups”
Alert Level 1: “Ilam at the school”
This time around, though, we are keeping a careful eye on government changes to the requirements at each level, so that what may happen (for example at Level 2) may need to be different this time around – we won’t know until we have got there.
One change which WILL operate at Alert Levels 1 and 2 is that we are required to ensure that everyone who attends an Ilam meeting, service or event scans in (using the QR Code) or signs in, so that we have a record of each attendee. More on that, though, when we get there!
In the meantime, please be aware that we (the staff) are thinking of you all and praying for you. We catch up regularly with each other, and are trying to ensure that we keep in touch with as many as possible from the church family. If you are feeling left out, or have something happening that you’d like to talk through with one of us, or ask prayer for – please get in touch. We would love to hear from you!
If you’re into poetry (and I know some of you are) I’ll leave you with one of my favourites to revel in!
Pied Beauty by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Glory be to God for dappled things –
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced – fold, fallow, and plough;
And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.
All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise him.
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