I continue to convalesce. Doctors and nurses warned me my nose would most likely feel blocked for up to two weeks, and I was not to blow it in the normal way. Thus I retain the bunged-up feeling almost permanently. Not only did I fail to sleep at all on Tuesday night in hospital, I am finding it difficult to sleep at home. Gernally, I get off to sleep but when I wake in the middle of the night, I can’t get back to sleep because I can’t breathe t00 easily. Three hours a night is about what I’m managing. It’s all very frustrating, and it had better be worth it in the end!
I was told to rest and stay away from large groups of people for two weeks. A major reason for this was infection control. Specifically, I have to avoid people with coughs and colds. So what did I bring home with me from hospital? A cold.
Now this raises a dilemma for tomorrow, and the following Sunday. Since I cannot attend an act of public worship, I thought I might see whether there was some streamed worship I could watch on the web. I realise such services are only likely to be broadcast from larger churches and might display some of the megachurch tendencies with which I’m uncomfortable. But I still want to find a way to observe Sunday as a day of worship, albeint on my own, and Songs Of Praise just won’t do.
So I thought I would ask whether anybody knows any sources of streamed worship they would recommend? We have broadband, but it’s not the most lightning-fast. Please leave any ideas in the comments. I’ve done some initial Googling and found an American site with links to all sorts of services.However, there is a time difference to allow for of anything up to eight hours. (I might still watch one later in the day, though.) Personal recommendations, though, are always worth so much. Hopefully I’ll have something to report back on tomorrow.
Big Circumstance 
We have considered streaming our services at Meadgate, but sadly we haven’t got round to it yet. Our tech guru could probably set it up as a trial for you, but I think it’s a bit late for tomorrow now, especially as he may need to get some special software. There are also copyright issues with the songs.
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Thank you Peter, that really would have been above and beyond the call of duty! I expected copyright to be an issue. I notice that some sites are limited in how much of the service they stream, and I assumed that was for copyright reasons. Of course, legally the sermon is copyright of the preacher, or whoever composed it, too. It counts in law as an ‘original work’. I recall running the college ‘tape ministry’ where we recorded visiting speakers. We always had to get their permission before recording them, and we paid a modest royalty on sales of tapes.
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Yes, we know we have to ask preachers’ permission. But are regulars are happy to be recorded and put on the Internet. In fact you can listen to our sermons at the church website, after a few days’ delay. Last week’s one is not available yet, I don’t know why, but there are several of Mones’ recent ones to choose from.
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That sounds good, Peter, thank you.
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I presume you have thought of and explored Premier Christian Radio? I can’t speak from experience but they say that they offer worship (certainly a sermon) for those who are housebound. The Revd Tony Miles of Methodist central Hall, London, is very involved with Premier.
Then I’ve heard people talking about ‘the God Channel’ enthusiastically but I don’t really know what that’s like at all.
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For some silly reason I’d forgotten Premier. I used to listen occasionally many years ago and found it a bit saccharine, but perhaps I’d better give it a second chance.
As to the God Channel, we have access to that here because we had to take out a Sky subscription as the only way to get decent TV access. Most of what I’ve seen on there has been North American prosperity doctrine (I won’t call it ‘prosperity gospel’, because it isn’t a gospel) preachers. I know occasionally they had more measured voices, such as the late Rob Frost, but the last time I looked at their schedules (probably last year when the Todd Bentley controversy was at its height), it was full of Benny Hinn and the like.
Anyway, thanks for the reminders, Olive, and have a great Sunday.
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I was afraid that the God Channel wasn’t what you and I would want! And I think Premier is no substitute for the whole service of worship that used to be broadcast regularly in the days when I was housebound with first one leg and then the other in plaster for 6 months each time. I hope what Premier offer will at least help to make this feel like Sunday for you.
We have the Revd Crispian Hollis, RC Bishop of Portsmouth preaching this morning as part of our church’s centenary year.
I will be thinking of you.
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I’ve actually just sat through a 30-minute show on God TV from a British church. A combination of orthodoxy and ‘aargh!’ I’ll say more about that when I post something later tonight.
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