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The Vicar writes………

As I write, we are well into 2019, as the season of Epiphany concludes. This time last year one of the subjects I touched upon was an increase in ministry to all ages, and that is something that has continued to grow. It is quite natural that in any facet of life people are needed to fulfil a task. As a team grows so does the potential to offer a greater and more varied level of service. In the secular world a manager will usually look for people with the right skills and experience and it is hard for someone with less or no experience at all to find opportunities to help them develop. If we want a practical task doing in our homes, or our own church, we will quite rightly seek out people who can demonstrate a proven track record which brings reassurance to us that the end-product will be satisfactory.

But what of the work of God in which we are invited to play our part? The Bible is full of stories of God choosing the least likely person to complete a kingdom task. We perhaps think of people like the shepherd boy David in the fields, the youngest of his family, or Paul who forcefully tried to destroy the early church. The Christmas Story which we have celebrated once again centres around Mary and Joseph, a young girl and an older man chosen to bring Jesus into the world. The first witnesses to see the new-born baby were the humble shepherds and then the infant was visited by the Magi from a far-off country beyond the boundaries of Jesus’ homeland. In that story we come to understand the good news of Christ is for everyone but God does need people to communicate the story of Christ to the world today.

It begs the question, ‘what is Christ asking of us this year’? And is there any task that we could consider whilst not having the perceived pre-requisite qualifications because somehow, we have come to believe that there is a hidden potential within us? Jesus chose his disciples based on their potential. May 2019 be a year when we can further fulfil our own possibilities and discover God’s will and purpose for ourselves.

Yours in His Service

Paul