Chair's April Blog: Did Someone Say... Zoom!?

I had been feeling rather useless. Something terrible was out there, making us fearful and causing pain and sorrow. Could we have had a more personal preparation for Holy Week? Our prayer and reflections were frighteningly appropriate for our current circumstances. We would be courageous in the face of this new danger. Not for us, the running away, denial and hiding that the Gospels tell us about. We were going to stand and fight! 

But what was the best way to help? STAY HOME! Really? The heroes were already out there, the key workers, those providing essential services: NHS staff, delivery drivers, cashiers and refuse collectors. And we will do the least harm by staying at home. How demoralising. We are beginning to learn the hard way where our priorities are, or should be. The world is turning on its head.

Perhaps this year, as we celebrate our Easter liturgies in our own home, unable to gather openly in our places of worship, we can enter into the disciples experience more deeply. They are fearful. They are indoors. How are they to move beyond this situation? The same dilemma is facing our national leaders. We have gone into lockdown, now how do we get out?

I have to be honest, what we did next was not my idea.

We had received requests from one or two members that we try to do something collective for Easter. Could we put all the resources from earlier Easter CPWs on the website? Could we live-stream an enactment of the Stations of the Cross, CPW style? Could we provide an alternative Triduum complete with multi-media presentations of the 7 Vigil readings? The ideas were wonderful, and just a little over-whelming.

We were deluged by the professional-looking resources from so many sources that we realised something. There was a lot out there already. We didn’t want to duplicate the work of others. We needed something particular to us. Something participatory which could be shared between us.

So, it was Rebekah who suggested we try a simple evening prayer. It was Rosie who suggested we draw up a rota. And it was me who sat, perched on a piano stool at 5.30pm on April Fools Day, wondering if anyone would be interested or able to respond to the invitation.

What happened next was joyously chaotic. Slowly at first, and then gathering momentum, beloved, familiar faces began to fill my screen. We talked over each other in a cacophony of voices. It was just like that moment on the first day of a CPW when everyone starts arriving. We were so excited to see each other. How would we ever be able to make this prayerful? 

Our first CPW Wednesday Evening Prayer via Zoom.

There was no need to worry. At the signal, conversation stopped and we moved into our suggested prayer service, responding when invited, and bringing our concerns and petitions to share. It may not have been polished, but it was sincere and moving. When I pushed the ‘end meeting’ button, I was elated. CPW was still out there. I couldn’t always see you but in all those homes, all over the country, the flame was still burning, the community lives on.

My phone pinged:

“That was lovely”
“It was great to pray together”
“Thank you for the Wednesday Evening Prayer - a new experience…”
“Thanks for organising this - it was lovely to participate and see everyone.”
“This was much appreciated and lovely to feel connected with people around the country”
“A wonderful idea…”
“It was moving to see so many familiar faces…and to pray together”
“…lovely to be back in the fold…”
“…deeply moved by being able to contact some of CPW…”
“A really good idea…”
“Lovely to see everyone…”
“Great experience - feel like we just arrived home from a CPW holiday”

So, the following Wednesday, we did it again (pictures enclosed!)

We set up a rota for the following weeks, and we then ‘met’ again on Easter Saturday morning to wait together as a faithful community, sharing the books and resources that had helped us through the last 6 weeks. Thanks for being there!

In the Gospels, Jesus enters the lockdown bringing peace, reassurance and hope. Nothing changes and everything changes. This is Resurrection! The disciples remain indoors but now Jesus is among them, risen and alive. A new understanding breaks into their reality and transforms it. This is what resurrection does. It challenges our perception of life, and like most challenges it raises more questions than it answers. At CPW we love to grapple with those questions and we are wary of easy answers.

May we continue to rise to the challenge of new life this Easter. This may not be the 75th Anniversary Year we were planning, but I am confident that CPW will find a way to follow Jesus, whether we encounter him as gardener, cook, dinner guest, teacher, supermarket cashier, nurse, doctor, or delivery driver. Stay home, stay alert, for our God is among us as the risen Christ. Alleluia!