The Vicar writes………
As I write these words the sun is shining on a crisp, cloudless, winter day and Spring is in the air. I love the Spring in so many ways, not least because the dark nights are starting to shorten and signs of new life emerge in our flowerbeds, and on the trees. There is a ‘freshness’ in the air and we appreciate the wonders of God’s creation in nature.
Spring is also a time that coincides with Lent and we are invited to spring-clean our hearts and minds ready for the joy of Easter when we celebrate with joy our faith in the Risen Lord. The board in the children’s corner wonderfully illustrates our faith journey at this time of year but it is also a paradigm for the human destiny, our journey in life. The road is windy and sometimes climbs and descends, it is never quite straight forward with challenges to be met but there is an invitation for us to deepen our faith and love for him who gave himself for us. That he might share that journey with us on the road of life.
Finding time for prayer and immersing ourselves in the Bible, in particular the stories of Jesus are ways in which our faith can be enriched and nurtured. When our faith grows it can, bear fruit like the seeds of nature, and enable others to learn the stories that so often we take for granted. It is so important in Christian Ministry, in which we all have a share, to be available to support people of all ages whether they are starting out on the road of faith or are well established on the journey. That said, there are many people who do not understand or know God’s story in Christ. It is our task to tell and share the story, which primarily comes through our discipleship. It is our actions that will speak more loudly than anything else but we should always be ready to speak of the hope we have too, with gentleness, for as Christians, we are ‘Easter People’ (1 Peter 3.15,16).
Yours , in His Service
Paul