Dear Church Family

Just as things seemed to be improving, with fewer restrictions and a bit more relaxed, it changed again, masks in more places, threats of more closures, local lock-downs. Life’s like that in so many ways, you feel you’re progressing, feel pleased with yourself until, so often, there’s a set-back. It’s like learning a new language, starting to play tennis or golf or bridge, for some of us using a computer or new Smartphone - all going well and then progress stops and there’s frustration.

It can be like that with relationships, both in marriage or with friends; all going well until something happens when love, understanding and closeness seem all of a sudden to be so much more difficult: will it ever be the same again, we may ask ourselves. And of course it’s the same in our spiritual lives, when we are building and deepening our relationship with God and getting to know and feel closer to Jesus. All of a sudden He can feel remote and we can feel on our own. Those hard moments when we thought we were doing ok on our journey towards a closer union with God our Father have been aptly said to be “the dark night of the soul.” It seems so unfair, it’s so easy to feel sorry for ourselves and be tempted to give up. (As we may have done with the French or tennis!)

The reality of our faith and God’s love for each of us tells us that we’ll be upheld and encouraged. Crossing the lake in the storm, Jesus was with them, saying “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” (Matthew 8, 23). Then there were the times when those disciples seemed to be giving up, in Gethsemane (Matthew 14, 37) and Peter denying Jesus (John 18, 17 & 25, 26). But these are the very same people who were given the responsibility to pick themselves up, carry on the work and spread the message of good news begun by Jesus.

Even before Covid-19 many were anxious about different things: forces they felt were beyond their control some big like terrorism, climate change or migration, with a distrust of politicians making promises unlikely to be fulfilled. At the personal level mental health issues were (still are) in the news and there were the familiar anxieties about coping with change, growing older and what the children and grandchildren might be up to into their teens and beyond. To these have been added the uncertainties related to the pandemic where progress to once familiar routines is slow and, to the layperson, unpredictable and uncontrollable.

It’s fundamentally not so different from the world of Jesus and those early disciples. He directly faces people’s anxieties, gets to the heart of the causes of fear, pain and evil and makes people look forward with hope, challenging them to believe in Him as the Father’s instrument of life and love. The events of Jesus’ short ministry and particularly his death and resurrection are part of the great drama of God’s love affair with humanity. Where there’s true love for someone you don’t abandon them when they’re in trouble or up against it. You support and encourage when there are setbacks.

A huge strength for us all with all this uncertainty is our faith in the power and love of God and the encouragement and help we’re having in our streamed services. Just now each Sunday we’re looking at one of the songs of hope, the Psalms and next Sunday’s is particularly apt, so maybe read it through, pray it, before and after as well as on Sunday.  Re-discover it as words of God’ promise that he will be there with us whatever our circumstances.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures

he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, 

for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, 

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord or ever.

Psalm 23 (NIV)

Just as I had finished writing that I received a letter from Bishop Peter telling us that he has been diagnosed with myeloid leukaemia, is beginning a course of chemotherapy and will be in hospital for a month.  He and his wife Jane will certainly need all the prayer we can give as he enters the dark valley.  He says he trusts in the Lord knowing that he will watch over him in the days ahead. Let us make that our prayer for him and Jane.  Meanwhile, Bishop Ruth is deferring a planned 3 month study leave for the time being.

With love and blessings

Tony

Live-streamed Services

Our recent Sunday Morning Worship Service was live streamed on Sunday 2nd August at 11.00. You can watch again our YouTube channel or by clicking in the player below.