Clem reflects on being a pastoral assistant during lockdown
Dear Friends,
It has been a strange time to be your Pastoral Assistant; at times it has been difficult and sad, at other times it has been wonderful. I’ll spare you all the cliché of writing about how this is not how I expected the year to go; we’ve heard it all before. Instead I’d rather like to think about the things which have remained the same, those brilliant constants that have made these times not only bearable but, at times, joyful.
The first constant is that I’m still very privileged to be living at number 41 with Brenda, David and Lucy. This has been a great joy and comfort. In the middle of March, I became quite ill with Covid-like symptoms, instead of becoming a pariah and forced paint a red cross on my door and hide, I was cared for and looked after. My flatmates took care of me, making me meals and checking in to make sure I was recovering. People dropped off care packages to keep us well fed and looked after, ranging from essential supplies (important) to Gregg’s vegan sausage rolls (even more important). Now that I’m well, I am even better able to enjoy the company and community offered at the flat. I still chat with Brenda, but now it’s usually calling out of the window during the NHS clap, as well as being in the strange position of chatting with someone on the phone while you’re occupying the same house. My flatmates and I have also had fun as our small community, from dressing as famous paintings, to belting out My Chemical Romance while making some wonderfully carb fuelled meals. During this time when many people, including myself, are away from their family, it’s even more important to love and cherish those we live with, those who share our space and lives.
The second constant is that I am still able to worship and pray with you all. Praying in community has always been special to me, and so to be cut off from the church building was difficult. I wasn’t sure how to make up for such a loss both in my own spiritual life and in how I could help those of you who, like myself, also cherish our times together in prayer. Leading compline from home has been one of the great joys of my time here. To begin with, I wasn’t sure how it would pan out; me and Lucy went rummaging round the flat for candles and matches, trying to turn our living room into the perfect haven for communal prayer. It turns out the living room was already the perfect place for communal prayer all along and our gin scented candles were merely an optional extra. It has been such a treasure to see people interact with our prayers and join us each evening as we put the day to bed. In lockdown the days can have a habit of blurring together, but being able to mark the day’s end with you all has kept me aware of the passing of time and able to appreciate what good has come out of each day, as well as the space to mourn the trivial disappointments that come and go.
The third constant is that I have still been able to feel part of the community. When I first moved here last September, one of the things which struck me about Holy Innocents in particular and Crouch End in general, is the sense of identity which comes with where we live and worship. It was to my delight that this sense of identity has not abated despite circumstances changing. I have loved chatting with many of you on the phone (and if you’d like to have a chat sometime let me know), in some ways it has been like getting to know people all over again; it’s funny how much more you learn about people when you change your approach. As well as being in our church community through online worship and making kids videos, I’ve also been lucky in being able to help the wider community. For the last few weeks I’ve gained a great deal from being able to help make up food parcels at the Brickworks Community Centre, and by that I don’t just mean being able to meet Jeremy Corbyn. It has been a time when we’ve found ourselves physically isolated in a whole host of ways, but what I love is that our physical isolation has not extended to emotional distance. We remain a true community, one that cares for each other and loves each other and is there to help when others struggle. This has not changed, and I don’t see it changing any time soon.
The final constant is the most important: I remain beloved. During the days when I was ill, during the days when I’ve felt frustrated by the lockdown, during my days of sadness and mourning; I have remained God’s beloved child. If all my other circumstances were to change, I know that would still remain. Moreover, I know it to be the case for everyone struggling in this lockdown along with me. I know that those struggling to pray away from church are loved by God, just as much as those attending online services three times a day. I know that those thriving and making sourdough are God’s beloved children, and so are those who struggle to make it out of bed. I know that all our key workers are beloved by God, and so are those who benefit from their sacrifice. This is a constant not only of the pandemic but of life. Those we have lost, those we loved dearly, were also loved by God and continue to be so; they are loved just as we who are left behind. The love which God has for us is an undeniable, irreversible, incontestable truth.
It hasn’t been an easy time. As a community we have not been spared from the continuing tragedy of this pandemic, losing those we love has been made all the harder by not being able to come together physically in our grief. Yet, I see the love we hold for each other in the comments we leave on Facebook livestreams, in the work done at the Community centre and every Thursday at 8pm. To categorise this as a time devoid of hope, or devoid of love would be a gross mischaracterisation.
I am working hard to improve the quality of the services. Sometimes they cut out. If that happens, simply return to the Facebook page and I will stat again with a new video. I'm very happy to receive requests for hymns and prayers.
Services
Daily Mass: 9.30am
Sunday Mass: 10.00am
Compline: 9.00pm
Special Services
Pentecost Vigil
Saturday, 8pm. This is an ancient service, very much akin to the Easter Vigil, which marked the beginning of the Easter season as the Pentecost Vigil marks the end. The readings and psalms from the Old Testament reflect on the presence and promise of the Holy Spirit throughout the Bible. The joy of singing the Gloria represents the coming of the Holy Spirit into our own lives and community. It is a beautiful service of prayerful expectation and joyful arrival. There will be no compline on Saturday.
Pentecost
This Sunday at 10am we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit on the disciples 50 days after Easter.
Delores Isaac Funeral
Delores Isaac funeral will be on Monday 1st June at 11.45. Numbers at the funeral will be restricted to close family. I will say a requiem mass for her at the earlier time of 9.00am that morning.
After the service on Sunday we're holding a zoom coffee time for an hour at 11.15. Clem has kindly set this up. You'll need to download zoom onto your computer or iPhone. Do contact her or me if you need help accessing zoom.
HI Kids online will continue on Sunday, after the main service at 12.15. Each video will include story telling and a craft activity to do at home with your kids. They will be streamed here
Women in the New Testament: Bible Study
Clem and Lucy are hosting a zoom bible study on women in the New Testament each Wednesday evening. If you would like to join, email Clem on clem.holyinnocents@gmail.com. Each session is stand alone, so don't worry if you can't make them all.
Help keep Holy Innocents going during the lockdown
This has been a difficult time for us financially, losing nearly all the income we would have got through Sunday collections. We realise this is a tough time for everybody, and want to give heartfelt thanks to those who have already given so generously and continue to do so each month. If you could support us, please click on this link to go to our giving page
