feelings (covid- and church-related)

[archer75]

I know not everyone on this forum is super high-church, but I think some of you are. So while my question is addressed a little more to those who are, but also to everyone else.

I am not such a great attendee of services lately, although I really really like going. I'm not as informed as I would like to be about liturgical matters, I never prepare the readings in advance, and and I still have trouble understanding the choir at times...but I love going. I wouldn't have said this even a few years ago, but I love that the priest is there as a Christian who operates in a special capacity during our prayers. I love the look of a large place that is just for worship, even if I don't like the SPECIFIC style of a given building.

I feel like I'm allowed to be there, which I don't often feel.
I could say more, but you get the idea.

And I really miss all that. I miss the social connection, however tenuous, with people who are at least sort of trying to pray.

It leaves me feeling really weak and staggered. Now, illness and the general fright in the air don't help. But I think missing services is a significant part of it.

How do you all handle it (if you feel this at all)? Do you feel that your home prayer corner (if you have one) has "grown in stature" during this time? Or no? Anything else?

 

[seeking.IAM]

I miss going to church. I miss it a lot. I'll be very glad when I can go back and worship there again. Yet I count the time away as a good learning experience for me. In the meantime, I have learned there are other ways to worship and stay connected with my congregation. I've enjoyed participating in virtual morning and evening prayer and online spiritual communion services (my favorite - Washington National Cathedral). I've instituted a daily prayer rule of my own after listening to a lecture by an Orthodox priest. I talk more during the week to members of my congregation than I did before. My faith has been nurtured, even away from church. I'll be as happy as anyone when we can go back, but I've learned that my faith and worship don't depend upon it.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

I'm OK with life in general. Our church presence has increased since closing our physical doors. We now have morning and evening prayer every day, and our various Sunday offerings can be accessed via YouTube at any time. Our meetings and home groups happen via Zoom.

As someone who has lots of church and synod meetings, I save so much time by meeting on Zoom rather than the 30 minute walk each way. My warden duties have virtually vanished. Not that saving time has a lot of value nowadays. I have no complaints.

 

[everbecoming2007]

How do you all handle it (if you feel this at all)? Do you feel that your home prayer corner (if you have one) has "grown in stature" during this time? Or no? Anything else?

I am not really doing anything that I have not before kept as part of my spiritual discipline. Nothing can really replace the sacraments.

But my prayer corner has taken a new feel as it has become my primary source of nourishment.

I may be meeting in online services with a friend for Morning Prayer on Sundays, so that would be something new. I have been accustomed to praying the Office or prayers derived therefrom in private the vast majority of the time. It does add something to say it with others either physically or in virtual spaces.

 

[Paidiske]

I will admit that I feel very different, but I think a lot of that comes down to my very specific circumstances. My time in this parish is coming to an end (I expect I will leave before services resume). While there have been good things and true saints of God here, it has not been an easy or a happy place to minister, much of the time. So there is a part of me that is finding the disruption to our "normal" patterns even something of a relief, because so much of how I experience church is about the quality of relationships I have with the people.

I am livestreaming morning prayer each day, which I've never done before, and appreciating the connection I have with people that way.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

While celebrating the Lord's Supper is important to our worship, we follow along with our vicar's celebration on YouTube via an Agape Meal. My teenagers are shocked at opening a bottle of red wine at 10am, but no one knows what the time is these days. I really appreciate our coffee time (or red wine/prosecco/gin time) with church family on Zoom where the software allows us to break into small groups, as we would naturally. What it does is allocate us randomly, so we end up chatting with people we would not normally grativate to.

This is really a horrible situation, but God is giving us so many opportunities to further his kingdom.

 

[Margaret3110]

I definitely miss going to church, but my church is live streaming their Sunday service so that helps. Our pastor calls periodically. I try to do Morning Prayer every day on my own as well.

Also, since my son is home all the time now, I'm trying to teach him more about God and prayer and the Bible as well as his school subjects. I read parts of Morning Prayer with him. He said the Lord's Prayer for the first time last week (been trying to teach him for a few years, he has autism and developmental delays) and that made my heart happy.

I feel like, while the situation is horrible, God is finding ways to bring some good out of it.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

I feel like, while the situation is horrible, God is finding ways to bring some good out of it.

Never a truer word. Praise the Lord!

 

[English Anglican]

I think we all miss church. Mine is doing an online service every Sunday, but not all of our congregation is online, so they miss out. Personally I think churches should be open for private prayer. Social distancing is practical in this instance. But we obey the authorities and wait for lockdown to end.

 

[Amittai]

During one of my "Anglican phases" my favourite church used the 1928 Prayer Book never passed by Parliament, complete with prayers for King George! So I know what you mean (some of my other denominations had a similar feel).

 

[Tolworth John]

am not such a great attendee of services lately, although I really really like going

miss the social connection, however tenuous, with people

May I ask why do you sometimes attend church?

What was your reason for attending?

I ask simple to know whether it is the service that attracts you or whether to attend in order to worship you Lord and Saviour?

Here in the London suburbs we livestream services on Sunday from our ministers home and the assistant ministered home, a techno wizard mixes, them in real-time and brings in those doing a reading, prayer etc.
Copyright makes including music more difficult as we have to find music videos not covered by that.

As Jesus said, we worship in Spirit and in Truth and not in a temple or up on a mountain.

 

[archer75]

May I ask why do you sometimes attend church?

What was your reason for attending?

I ask simple to know whether it is the service that attracts you or whether to attend in order to worship you Lord and Saviour?

I always plan to go, but for various reasons, it often doesn't work out.

I attend to worship, but also because I "like" the services.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

I always plan to go, but for various reasons, it often doesn't work out.

I attend to worship, but also because I "like" the services.

I think the streaming of services might help you to get back into the routine.

 

[Tolworth John]

I always plan to go, but for various reasons, it often doesn't work out.

I attend to worship, but also because I "like" the services.

Thank you for replying.

As Naomitchrist has said try online services. They are not! He same as being there, but they do enable one to join with others to worship.
If you are a member of your church, they will include you in what ever prayer circle, txt, email etc system they have to pray for issues in the fellowship.

 

[English Anglican]

During one of my "Anglican phases" my favourite church used the 1928 Prayer Book never passed by Parliament, complete with prayers for King George! So I know what you mean (some of my other denominations had a similar feel).

Common Worship, used in the CofE, has prayers for Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family.

 

[Julian of Norwich]

Since I'm not able to go to church at the moment (and I feel I'm not truly worshiping Him unless I do) does anybody know of an Anglican Ordinariate-type mass I can catch online (not necessarily the Ordinariate, but Ad Orientum, incense, etc)? I have good prayer apps, but they just seem to be more for me, not Him.

 

[Paidiske]

You might try here, Julian: St. Peters Eastern Hill

I haven't watched any of their recordings all the way through, but I've caught snippets on FB and I think they might match what you're looking for?

 

[Julian of Norwich]

You might try here, Julian: St. Peters Eastern Hill

I haven't watched any of their recordings all the way through, but I've caught snippets on FB and I think they might match what you're looking for?

Thank you, Paidiske. I appreciate it. I hadn't seen that. From what I've seen so far (it's late Tuesday night, so I'm not able to watch all of it) it'll be what I will think He is deserving of.

 

[Paidiske]

I've only worshipped there once, and that was a wedding, but from what I know of it I think it will suit what you're looking for.

 

[Shane R]

Since I'm not able to go to church at the moment (and I feel I'm not truly worshiping Him unless I do) does anybody know of an Anglican Ordinariate-type mass I can catch online (not necessarily the Ordinariate, but Ad Orientum, incense, etc)? I have good prayer apps, but they just seem to be more for me, not Him.

You might enjoy this one: St. Augustine's Anglican Church

They stream at 11 a.m. Eastern. The parish is very high church and uses incense, bells, and chant at every Mass. Their rite is according to the American Missal. they also rotate preachers, which can be a pleasant thing.