Some thoughts for Low Sunday, on which I would have been preaching
In the Aplin household now the children have all left home, breakfast is normally a solitary meal. Whichever of us gets up first lets the dog in and prepares their own breakfast whilst the other uses the shower. Then roles are reversed and so we both eat alone. (Although we eat together for all other meals.)
However, on Easter Sunday morning, I laid the table for us to eat together and I did it properly, hotel style, with matching cutlery, crockery etc. The meal was to be boiled eggs and toast, the last two eggs we had, which I had decorated with permanent marker pens. For drinks we had orange juice and then cups of tea. In addition, there were two chocolate oranges as I couldn’t get Easter Eggs as we are self-isolating.
At ten past eight as we ware cracking the eggs, we turned on the radio to hear Archbishop Justin celebrate the Easter Eucharist in his kitchen. We both found the service very moving, as we quietly continued our meal. The music chosen was beautiful and the message from our Archbishop was both uplifting and profound and exactly right for these very difficult times.
When we came to the communion, as Archbishop Justin said the words “take eat this is my body which is broken for you” Eileen broke off a corner of her toast and passed it to me and we both ate a small piece of toast. Like wise at the words “This blood is the new covenant in my blood” we both took a sip from our glasses of orange. This was entirely spontaneous; we had not planned this at all. We continued to the end of the service, joining in the prayers and hymns as best we could and by the end, we both felt very blessed.
Later I reflected on whether we had in fact, taken part in a communion service. The bread had at least been bread but the orange juice was not wine and neither element had been consecrated. Nonetheless I felt particularly close to God at that point which is one meaning of communion. There was also a wonderful sense that God had come into our home and was sharing the meal with us.
We will all I am sure, be very keen to get back to worshipping in our churches as soon as it is decided that this is safe to do so and we will be pleased once again to celebrate the Eucharist as it should be celebrated; but I shall cherish this memory, hoping that it will help me to remember that Christianity is not some thing that just goes on in churches but must spread into our homes and all aspects of our daily lives.
I shall think of it particularly when we read of Jesus meeting the disciples at the lakeside and sharing fish with them as I believe that just for a few moments Eileen and I shared in that experience.
Truly for us that Easter morning service was one of the most nourishing things that has come out of the Archbishop’s kitchen in a very long while.
Keith Aplin LLM.
Parish Church of St Peter and Paul Wisbech, 13th April 2020 the 26th day of self-isolation