Another week has quickly past with more of what we could never have imagined becoming the norm. On Monday the country was put into 'lockdown'. Everyone must stay at home. Only essential journeys and work are allowed. You can go out for one form of exercise per day.
Sunny weather has been helpful giving opportunity to spend time out in the garden and not feel so restricted.
Last Sunday was difficult, my eyes kept overflowing contemplating the new routine of Sundays alone but with periods of online connection. The service worked well on Zoom and there were other live sermons to listen to in the evening. It is good we have the technology to be able to join together. We used it for Tuesday evening prayer meeting and a social time on Thursday evening.
We've been continuing with work but just telephone consultations now. I got a laptop on Friday to be able to work from home. The service is being reorganised as the physio department will soon be made in to a ward and many staff need to go out to rehab people in the community and get them out of the hospital.
Lots more people are coming down with the virus. It feels close when you actually know people with the virus and some key public figures such as Boris Johnson and Prince Charles have got the virus. Deaths and number of cases are rising quite rapidly now. The government is building large temporary hospitals in London, Birmingham and Manchester.
America has had a rapid rise of cases this week and Italy and Spain are still seeing many more deaths. The virus is affecting all the world. I think the stats this week were that a quarter of the world is in lockdown - Surely this is the hand of God.
The supermarkets are still very busy with restricted numbers entering at a time. This leads to long queues outside all spaced out by 2m. I queued for 25 minutes to get into Tesco at 6am yesterday!
It's amazing how quickly we adapt, getting used to online Sunday school and church and speaking with friends and relatives virtually. It's a good second best but never as good as being present in the same room or face to face.
I've been enjoying having time to put my 'house in order' by tidying up paperwork in the office. Somehow with so many deaths expected it makes me feel like I need to be organised if anyone was left to deal with my estate.
I've been reading a book by Martin Lloyd Jones on Psalm 73 called Faith on Trial which is very helpful. I personally feel challenged to truly make the Lord the priority in my life and to value those things I have neglected - prayer, the gathering of the church, hearing the word preached, opportunities to serve. Praying that the Lord will save many through this and bring glory to his name.
I was thinking this morning that apart from the eseentials how little work will be going on today, the Lord's day - it will be more of a day of rest around the world than it has been for many years. May that cause many to hear the word preached and be saved.
Sunday 29 March 2020
Sunday 22 March 2020
Coronavirus Reflections #1
What a week. Coronavirus has led to a life that we could never have imagined. 2020 was always spoken about as a futuristic time when life would be so different and it certainly feels like we are in a surreal world today.
There isn't a home in the country that has not had normal life interrupted. I'm restarting this blog partly as a way to process all that is going on and also I think it is important to record these events in practical and spiritual terms.
The virus has been around for about 2.5 months, initially starting in China. As the problem escalated and spread to the UK I had little realisation of the immense impact it would have on our lives.
Last Sunday we were at church joking with our older friends about the potential that they would be quaranteened. Little did we realise that by the end of the week schools, restaurants, pubs, cafes and gyms would all be closed and as many people as possible working from home. There are no GCSEs or A levels this year. Students have suddenly finished their degree courses, children suddenly finished school. No time for goodbyes.
Many of my colleagues have closed their osteopathic practices this week. I closed mine yesterday and will be moving out of the office space in the next few days.
Quickly we have had to embrace technology. Meetings have been held online assessing the significant impact of the virus on professional life. Patient appointments are all carried out by telephone. The church now has an active Whatsapp group and this morning we will have church on Zoom, some of the children have attended a virtual Sunday school. I no longer see my parents face to face as I used to nearly daily. Now I see them on a small screen. They, like so many others, are in isolation keeping safe and relying on others to bring their food and supply their needs.
How thankful I am that this is in a generation where we have the technology to remain connected.
I am a high risk carrier as I mix with so many people through continuing to go to work so I generally stay in isolation at home so as not to become a spreader.
I'm not sure the reality has kicked in about how serious this situation is. Worldwide the problem is rapidly escalating. Our deaths are almost exactly mapping the numbers in Italy but 2 weeks behind. Italy is struggling to cope and some awful stories are coming out of the health departments there.
The NHS is rapidly recruiting the retired, non-practising and final year students and acquiring as much space as possible to prepare for what seems an inevitable overwhelming demand on resources.
The health and science advisors have tried to hold back the spread of the virus by restricting movement. This strategy has been used with Italy but they are still in a terrible situation. The chancellor is pouring money into society in a way never seen before to help people to continue to afford to live. So many have lost work.
It is expected this situation could continue for months.This virtual, restricted way of life will soon become the norm.
This is a war situation. A worldwide war. Not country against country but every country against a virus. Many of us are being called up to serve our country and fellow citizens in the NHS. Many are being asked to preserve life simply by staying at home.
This is an unseen enemy. You don't know who are the asymptomatic spreaders. You don't know who will be most severely affected.
We need to respond with the seriousness that we would respond to war. Obeying the advice given to us to socially distance and isolate, not taking any risks. Praying for the safety of one another - those at risk, those serving on the frontlines. We know that many loved ones will be taken in the next few weeks.
I've wept several times this week - moved to see people closing their businesses, overwhelmed by the restrictions needed on society, stories of lives taken, sacrificies made and overwhelmed health workers - in summary, humbled before the hand of Almighty God.
I have been convicted about how glibly I read in the Bible about times when God judged the people and many died. Living in one of those situations is a harsh reality. In recent times I've been greatly concerned about the poor preaching in the churches and the lack of prayer and zeal in the churches and the great darkness in this land polluting the minds of young and old. The church had become lukewarm. God has acted. Freedoms have been removed, lives have and will be taken, life will never be the same. Yet still people mock the living God.
I've been thinking about how John the baptist and Jesus had that message they came with 'Repent'. My mind has also gone to the prayer of Daniel 9, crying out to God to have mercy. In my quiet times I've been reading Deuteronomy and we see again and again how the Lord God desires hearts of obedience. This generation has been disobedient and profaned all of God's holy law. As individuals, a church and nations we need to turn to God in repentance and faith and cry out to Him for mercy.
I enter into another week not able to imagine the course that it may take but trusting on the Lord God who is always with me and has promised me eternity with Him.
Daniel 9:3-19
Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
There isn't a home in the country that has not had normal life interrupted. I'm restarting this blog partly as a way to process all that is going on and also I think it is important to record these events in practical and spiritual terms.
The virus has been around for about 2.5 months, initially starting in China. As the problem escalated and spread to the UK I had little realisation of the immense impact it would have on our lives.
Last Sunday we were at church joking with our older friends about the potential that they would be quaranteened. Little did we realise that by the end of the week schools, restaurants, pubs, cafes and gyms would all be closed and as many people as possible working from home. There are no GCSEs or A levels this year. Students have suddenly finished their degree courses, children suddenly finished school. No time for goodbyes.
Many of my colleagues have closed their osteopathic practices this week. I closed mine yesterday and will be moving out of the office space in the next few days.
Quickly we have had to embrace technology. Meetings have been held online assessing the significant impact of the virus on professional life. Patient appointments are all carried out by telephone. The church now has an active Whatsapp group and this morning we will have church on Zoom, some of the children have attended a virtual Sunday school. I no longer see my parents face to face as I used to nearly daily. Now I see them on a small screen. They, like so many others, are in isolation keeping safe and relying on others to bring their food and supply their needs.
How thankful I am that this is in a generation where we have the technology to remain connected.
I am a high risk carrier as I mix with so many people through continuing to go to work so I generally stay in isolation at home so as not to become a spreader.
I'm not sure the reality has kicked in about how serious this situation is. Worldwide the problem is rapidly escalating. Our deaths are almost exactly mapping the numbers in Italy but 2 weeks behind. Italy is struggling to cope and some awful stories are coming out of the health departments there.
The NHS is rapidly recruiting the retired, non-practising and final year students and acquiring as much space as possible to prepare for what seems an inevitable overwhelming demand on resources.
The health and science advisors have tried to hold back the spread of the virus by restricting movement. This strategy has been used with Italy but they are still in a terrible situation. The chancellor is pouring money into society in a way never seen before to help people to continue to afford to live. So many have lost work.
It is expected this situation could continue for months.This virtual, restricted way of life will soon become the norm.
This is a war situation. A worldwide war. Not country against country but every country against a virus. Many of us are being called up to serve our country and fellow citizens in the NHS. Many are being asked to preserve life simply by staying at home.
This is an unseen enemy. You don't know who are the asymptomatic spreaders. You don't know who will be most severely affected.
We need to respond with the seriousness that we would respond to war. Obeying the advice given to us to socially distance and isolate, not taking any risks. Praying for the safety of one another - those at risk, those serving on the frontlines. We know that many loved ones will be taken in the next few weeks.
I've wept several times this week - moved to see people closing their businesses, overwhelmed by the restrictions needed on society, stories of lives taken, sacrificies made and overwhelmed health workers - in summary, humbled before the hand of Almighty God.
I have been convicted about how glibly I read in the Bible about times when God judged the people and many died. Living in one of those situations is a harsh reality. In recent times I've been greatly concerned about the poor preaching in the churches and the lack of prayer and zeal in the churches and the great darkness in this land polluting the minds of young and old. The church had become lukewarm. God has acted. Freedoms have been removed, lives have and will be taken, life will never be the same. Yet still people mock the living God.
I've been thinking about how John the baptist and Jesus had that message they came with 'Repent'. My mind has also gone to the prayer of Daniel 9, crying out to God to have mercy. In my quiet times I've been reading Deuteronomy and we see again and again how the Lord God desires hearts of obedience. This generation has been disobedient and profaned all of God's holy law. As individuals, a church and nations we need to turn to God in repentance and faith and cry out to Him for mercy.
I enter into another week not able to imagine the course that it may take but trusting on the Lord God who is always with me and has promised me eternity with Him.
Daniel 9:3-19
Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
“O
Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your
wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for
our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your
people have become a byword among all who are around us. Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. O
my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our
desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not
present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because
of your great mercy. O
Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not,
for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are
called by your name.”
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