How very quickly we are passing through the seasons of the Christian year. I would like to thank everyone who helped to make the seasons of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany so full and exciting. So many people have been involved in preparing and taking part in the myriad of services and social activities we have enjoyed and everything has been so well attended! We’re currently approaching the end of the season of Epiphany during which we’ve been striving to keep love-led hopeful action at the core of our being. In a world that is normalising isolationist, “me first” policies and whose rhetoric affirms a pessimistic “them and us” mentality, we are working hard to show that our Christian faith can, indeed, be a light to the nations?
We will soon enter the new season of Lent which, this year, begins on Wednesday, 26th. February. The season of Lent is about new challenges. At the heart of it is the example of Jesus - taking on the challenge that was to be His ministry. Jesus was called to a seemingly impossible task. He was led into the wilderness to face various scenarios - to take the easy road or to face suffering on the Cross. He chose to be simply obedient to God’s call, which resulted in both pain and glory? But the destination was glorious - Easter - the never-before and never-since seen day of resurrection, giving us all new hope, new life and a clean break with our shortcomings and failures of the past. So let us step out confidently together on this spiritual journey, trusting that the risen Christ will guide each and every step we take in faith towards sharing His resurrection life.
I leave you with this thought;
“A barman notices that every evening, without fail, one of his patrons orders three beers. After several weeks of noticing this pattern, the barman asks the man why he always orders three beers. The man says, ‘I have two brothers who have moved away to different countries. We promised each other that we would always order an extra two beers whenever we drank as a way of keeping up the family bond.’ Several weeks later, noticing that the man only ordered two beers, the barman said, ‘Please accept my condolences on the death of one of your brothers. You know, the two beers and all…’ The man replied, ‘You’ll be happy to hear that my two brothers are alive and well…
It’s just that I, myself, have decided to give up drinking for Lent.’
