Over the last year, the churches of the East Trent Group in the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham have been exploring how they might draw on the opportunities offered by traditional rural and farming festivals.

In 2019 we decided to get the Harvest Festival season off to a good start by holding a Lammastide service at St Bartholomew’s Church and an invitation was delivered to every household in the village.

Imagine that you are a vicar walking into an ancient medieval church in rural Buckinghamshire. You step inside, turn right and are faced with rows of high box pews.

What are your first thoughts? ‘This church should be a museum; they could sell tickets to raise funds!’ ‘How can you preach to people sitting backwards?’

‘That pew would make a great ball pit.’?

Life will never be the same again.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard this refrain on the radio, the news, on social media over the last few weeks. In times of immense change, it can be hard to imagine life ever really going back to normal, and yet we all know from past experience as individuals and as Christian communities just how easy is it to fall back into try and tested patterns – good and not so good – after we’ve been through experiences that we think will change us forever.

Much of what this ‘new’ post-COVID-19 world will look like is – and will remain – impossible to predict, but we can, even now, begin to engage intentionally with its possible impact and in doing so equip ourselves to be better able to respond appropriately over the next weeks, months and years.

I stand at the door of the church, alternately looking along the path to the lychgate and glancing at my watch. Not every erstwhile pilgrim arrives on time, so I usually allow ten minutes after the ‘we are definitely leaving at x o’clock’ deadline. Two more people turn into the churchyard, one carrying a large rucksack, the other a small shoulder bag, together exemplifying the range of pack which individuals deem suitable for a day’s walk. I smile to myself – one of them will have everything they could possibly need, including a magnificent packed lunch; the other will have to make do with the generosity of fellow pilgrims if they want to eat. However, one pilgrim will become very tired on the uphill’s, maybe even needing their bag carried, while the other will merrily stride along in the vanguard of the group, keeping up a lively conversation as they go.