Son #2 has been on the Champix to give up smoking for 2 weeks now. His side effects have been worse than mine and he even had to take a couple of days off work last week. After that people in his office went off with Swine Flu and now a whole department has been quarantined. It was only yesterday when someone asked him what the side effects were that they discovered they were the same as the Swine Flu symptoms. He was told to phone his GP and it now seems that it was him that spread the Swine Flu. Oops. And he didn’t sneeze once. Turns out you can have mild symptoms and still infect others.
The ABofC has sent us out scary warnings about sharing chalices and suggesting that people only receive in one kind (bread) and that the priest alone gets to have the chalice. It feels like a step back in time to pre-Vatican II days. I still reckon that silver and alcohol can get rid of most germs. But in light of my diseased son I am prepared to use an anti-bacterial hand-wash before communion as well as the Lavabo. Now don’t say I’m not good to you.
RevRuth's Rantings 
My Vestry looked at recommendations last night and decided to provide me with an alcohol based hand rub to go with the lavabo. I think we’re over-reacting a little in banning chalices just at the moment, but it was their decision in the light of the recommendations to continue our current practices. Bowing and grinning at each other at The Peace was something that was rejected rather hastily too!
Ah, but in Argyll we bow and grin like nobody’s business!
And on another tack: what horrors could be spread by the two bluebottles (dead) which I found in the ornate but vulnerable jug used for processing the wine from the back of the church? It has, for some reason, become the custom to leave it out in the vestry – baaaad idea!
You need a flagon with a lid, you do.
Mm. It has an ornate hinged lid which leaves the spout open. And a bit of paper towel stuck in it lacks aesthetic appeal, somehow.
“It feels like a step back in time to pre-Vatican II days.”
What could be nicer than that?
And I see one English diocese is recommending hugging at the Kiss of Peace rather than shaking hands. Sounds good to me.
We are having terrible problems in my local R.C. church the nuns were telling the congregation have been told again to recieve the host in their hands put they are refusing and open there mouths seeking to have the priest place it in their mouth,, you would think after SARS and now H1N1 flu they would understand.
as for the peace as long as we dont go back to the kiss of Peace I will be fine, none of that snogging for me !!
Robin, we did lots of hugging and snogging on Sunday. Much better than shaking hands.
And if we go back to pre-Vatican II then I won’t be here!