6 Comments

Celia, the things you write, the things you see, the things you notice, fill me with immeasurable gratitude for your life and work. Just when I think all is lost, you remind me that of course, it's not.

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Hey, that’s just how I felt after reading this. Celia has one of the most inviting, compelling voices for storytelling I’ve come across in long time. It’s like being reunited with a long lost friend I’ve never met. Thanks Simon and Celia!

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You’re definitely not alone. I was walking my dog in the summer of 2020. Mask mandates and “social distancing” firmly in place and I was at odds with everyone around me. I needed the community that only church provides but our “ruler”(Governor) had said he knew what was best for “his people” and gatherings were banned.

Let’s just say it was divine intervention that day because I met someone on my walk who guided to a church that NEVER stopped in person services…. and I have been attending ever since.

Thankfully some clergy recognize the visceral need to be in communion with others, the power of being on your knees to accept the bread and wine that no zoom service can offer.

Thankfully some clergy allow their congregations to exercise personal responsibility- you know where you take full accountability for your actions, decisions, etc? Attend/Don’t Attend. Mask/No Mask. Sit by Yourself/Fill in the Pew. Sing/Don’t Sing.

Two years later, congregation is happy, healthy and growing.

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Thank you for this beautiful article. These people are great examples for us - reminders that joy comes from within and doesn't require outward possessions.

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There can be times when we meet someone briefly who has an impact on our life.

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What a wonderful encounter! Perhaps, just perhaps he was an angel!

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