Dear friends,
Happy New Year! I hope you all had as good a Christmas, as you were able to do so, despite the Covid restrictions that we were all asked to observe. For a lot of people, the Christmas just gone was a very difficult time, being unable to meet with loved ones, and Christmas plans being changed at a moments’ notice. In common with a lot of people, my Christmas holiday arrangements also went out the window! But still we survived it despite the difficulties that we had to cope with!
As I write this letter, we are just about to go into our third lockdown, which will be yet another trial that we have to go through. Although we may complain about yet another lockdown, it is I believe the safest way to survive at the moment, and unlike previous lockdown's, there is I believe, an end in sight, the end being the vaccines which the Government are doing their best to manage and facilitate and that to me, is a positive step.
During this past year, because of Covid, I have lived in a space something between “hope” and “fear”. I am not sure if other people felt this, but I certainly have. I would like to look at our two words, "hope" and "fear". Let’s start with the word "hope".
As Christians we are expected to be hopeful, positive, secure in our faith, and put our hope and trust in the Lord our God, that in the words of the mystic Julian of Norwich "all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well"! As a Christian I believe that our hope is in the name of our God and I sincerely believe in the line of the hymn "all my hope in God is founded" and as a Christian, I live by the hope and promises that our Lord Jesus Christ has promised to those who serve him to the best of their ability, in whatever shape or form that might be.
And so to the word "fear". I have to be honest, during this past year, I have on more than one occasion, during Covid, been scared and fearful; fearful for myself, my family and friends, and for my churches, and the communities in which I serve. And when I have felt like this, I have forced myself to remember the words the angel spoke to the shepherds, "do not be afraid, for I bring tidings of great joy" for as Christians, we need not be afraid, for in December we celebrated the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to save us and redeem the whole world.
As Christians, I think during these difficult lockdown days, which we will all deal with in our own particular way, we need to remember the words from one of my favourite hymns which in my churches we often sing, and that is:
"do not be afraid,
for I have redeemed you,
I have called you by your name,
you are mine,"
Also, the Psalms offer comfort for every stage of our spiritual journey. I have many favourite Psalms but the one I think is appropriate in our Nation’s particular crisis at the moment is Psalm 91 "those who love me, I will deliver, I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them, I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honour them".
During the previous two lockdowns I began reading a book by an American Jewish writer, a rabbi. The book was entitled "dancing in God's earthquake". It is a positive book, about bringing different faiths together, written from a Jewish perspective. I am still in the middle of reading it - it is a long book, but I'm told by a friend of mine that it is worth pursuing!
I would like to finish with a quote from this book, "every human community is quaking, every aspect of our lives is shaking underfoot, and some of us are trying to learn how to dance".
In our current Covid climate, I believe those words are true and I for one am encouraged by the word "dance" and I like to believe that the author is using the word "dance" as a metaphor for hope, trust and faith, words that as Christians, in these difficult days, we should all be trying to say and share with each other.
Yours in Christ.
Peter
Happy New Year! I hope you all had as good a Christmas, as you were able to do so, despite the Covid restrictions that we were all asked to observe. For a lot of people, the Christmas just gone was a very difficult time, being unable to meet with loved ones, and Christmas plans being changed at a moments’ notice. In common with a lot of people, my Christmas holiday arrangements also went out the window! But still we survived it despite the difficulties that we had to cope with!
As I write this letter, we are just about to go into our third lockdown, which will be yet another trial that we have to go through. Although we may complain about yet another lockdown, it is I believe the safest way to survive at the moment, and unlike previous lockdown's, there is I believe, an end in sight, the end being the vaccines which the Government are doing their best to manage and facilitate and that to me, is a positive step.
During this past year, because of Covid, I have lived in a space something between “hope” and “fear”. I am not sure if other people felt this, but I certainly have. I would like to look at our two words, "hope" and "fear". Let’s start with the word "hope".
As Christians we are expected to be hopeful, positive, secure in our faith, and put our hope and trust in the Lord our God, that in the words of the mystic Julian of Norwich "all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well"! As a Christian I believe that our hope is in the name of our God and I sincerely believe in the line of the hymn "all my hope in God is founded" and as a Christian, I live by the hope and promises that our Lord Jesus Christ has promised to those who serve him to the best of their ability, in whatever shape or form that might be.
And so to the word "fear". I have to be honest, during this past year, I have on more than one occasion, during Covid, been scared and fearful; fearful for myself, my family and friends, and for my churches, and the communities in which I serve. And when I have felt like this, I have forced myself to remember the words the angel spoke to the shepherds, "do not be afraid, for I bring tidings of great joy" for as Christians, we need not be afraid, for in December we celebrated the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to save us and redeem the whole world.
As Christians, I think during these difficult lockdown days, which we will all deal with in our own particular way, we need to remember the words from one of my favourite hymns which in my churches we often sing, and that is:
"do not be afraid,
for I have redeemed you,
I have called you by your name,
you are mine,"
Also, the Psalms offer comfort for every stage of our spiritual journey. I have many favourite Psalms but the one I think is appropriate in our Nation’s particular crisis at the moment is Psalm 91 "those who love me, I will deliver, I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them, I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honour them".
During the previous two lockdowns I began reading a book by an American Jewish writer, a rabbi. The book was entitled "dancing in God's earthquake". It is a positive book, about bringing different faiths together, written from a Jewish perspective. I am still in the middle of reading it - it is a long book, but I'm told by a friend of mine that it is worth pursuing!
I would like to finish with a quote from this book, "every human community is quaking, every aspect of our lives is shaking underfoot, and some of us are trying to learn how to dance".
In our current Covid climate, I believe those words are true and I for one am encouraged by the word "dance" and I like to believe that the author is using the word "dance" as a metaphor for hope, trust and faith, words that as Christians, in these difficult days, we should all be trying to say and share with each other.
Yours in Christ.
Peter
