Didn't There Used To Be A 'Religion' Category?

[jourdain2]

Not all that important to most people, but I am feeling troubled and I am under pressure (as a P.C.C. member) to provide a response tomorrow sometime. Can we start by acknowledging that I am a Christian, active in the Church, and a musician (singing and organising music in services and for other charitable enterprises).

At the start of the lockdown I organised for the villagers to use the church as a repository for craft materials/books etc.. It was working well. Then the Archbishops intervened (and I have met and admire Dr. Sentamu) and the church was closed. Full stop. OK, the village worked out that the bus shelter would provide a location and there is a mini-library etc. there now. I've been active in this got the initiative into the local church and helped with organising a village May Day display - currently on with V.E. Day. Basically the church has been sidelined (and I understand that, but I am working with the village population).

Probably rubbish for me to be posting, but I got a missive from the local Church vicars etc. saying all sorts of genteel rubbish and one phrase has stood out. "Things will not, nor should they, go back to the normal we have known." This, after a lot of stuff about Zoom etc..

I understand that there is a place for technology, but, please, am I alone in crying out that people need people on hand? Things should go back to normal (they should never have been interrupted to my mind) but with the addition of technology. Ah, well, rant over. It's not been a good day and I am troubled. Sorry. I really am thinking about resigning from the P.C.C. - it's a big thing for me. Please ignore, if you want, I don't really mind. I have to sort thisout.

[woofgang]

oh and doesn't Welby have an interesting past? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Welby

[Canary42]

///Woofgang: The technology to do it has been around for years, but it never took off until businesses were forced into it.////

Yes, I agree Woof, I was using video conferencing over 20 years ago - it needed more special equipment/software in those days, but this wasn't really why it didn't take off. Businessmen preferred all-expenses-paid jollies. As you said, they've had to be forced into using it.

[woofgang]

canary, where I worked (NHS) managers didn't like the idea that staff were out of their control.

[jourdain2]

Thank you all for making me take time to think past today and yesterday and the day before. I have not as yet replied (I'll do it next) and shall refrain from resigning at the moment. But I will express my reservations. We'll see what happens. I don't 'need to be needed' bedknobs, I've just never known anything else than working to help other people - and they don't have to be Christian, I taught in Bradford and Halifax and worked my socks off for every single pupil of mine. People need people at hand, not at a distance through a machine. In my 'spare' time I qualified as a coach and ran a Track and Field Ladies athletics team, which sort of grew until we had about a hundred kids, including boys, from 9 - 21+ - I'm just not used to thinking about myself, that's all. Anyway, that's it for now. I have a difficult letter to write. Thank you all again. :)

[woofgang]

You are welcome. I hope that the decisions that you make give you peace.

[bednobs]

lol @ "I don't need to be needed" and then a paragraph to prove you do. I am not saying it as a criticism at all it's not a bad thing, it's a good thing - there are loads of us, and probably wouldn't be many nurses, teachers and so on unless there were

[naomi24]

Good news that you haven't resigned, Jourdain. I hope all goes well. Good luck.