In Matthew’s Gospel 10:26-33 when Jesus sent the apostles out to proclaim his teaching openly and to witness to him before the world, he knew they were fearful. And had good reason to be fearful, knowing that they would have to face hardship and persecution. So, not once but three times he said to them, ‘Do not be afraid’.

My first words to you all must be ‘a Happy New Year’ as a new Methodist year begins. This lovely and unique greeting in the life of Methodism is sadly dying away like many other things in our tradition that we love and cherish.

In this double edition of Wesley News covering the months of July and August we look forward to summer sunshine and going away for day trips and holidays. Thanks to Bill Coates for producing this monthly magazine . Hopefully for us all this is a time of year to relax and refresh our bodies, minds and souls.

This month is full of special days including Father’s Day, World Milk Day, World Bicycle Day, Anti -Child Labour Day, World Refugee Day, the Queen`s Platinum Jubilee and the Day of Pentecost.

We are now in the merry month of May and I’m looking at the weddings that I have planned in my diary this summer. At a wedding in Cana Jesus changed water into wine. There are some things in our lives that need changing and Jesus can give us the strength and the will power to do it.

As the women disciples made their way to Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning they had one big problem: Who would roll away the great stone that had been placed at the entrance of the tomb?

March sees the start of Lent which is the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter in the Christian Calendar. By observing the 40 days of Lent, Christians replicate Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days. Lent is marked by prayer, fasting and giving to charity. The colour of Lent is purple which represents repentance and hope.

Over Christmas and New year I have been thinking about the ways Jesus changes people and I’ve just read the story of Zacchaeus from Luke Ch19 v1-10. I think Zacchaeus had come along that day in order to see what kind of man Jesus was. Well, by the end of the day he had got a lot more than he bargained for or hoped for.

We hear the song of the angels In Luke`s Gospel Ch2 v 14; `Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours.`

Once again we are approaching Christmas and Peace is one of the things we always associate with the festive season. Luke Ch 1 v79 tells us that one of the reasons Jesus comes is `to guide our feet into the ways of peace.` These are among some of the loveliest words in the Gospel. Indeed, you could say they sum up the Gospel.

But peace is not merely the absence of war or dissension. It is something deeper and richer. The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. Shalom conveys a sense of completeness, a state of perfect well-being.

At a recent pastoral committee meeting we remembered in our thoughts and prayers those who have suffered and died during the Coronavirus pandemic and have been, over the years, an important part of the Wesley Memorial Methodist Church family.