During these last few months, I think we have all been relying on our faith and our prayer lives to see us through the current pandemic. I have heard wonderful testimonies of God at work in the lives of his people. Loving, sustaining, uplifting, comforting, guiding, helping, all in equal measure.

As we began “lockdown” and needed to close our churches, in our church calendar, we were in the season of Lent. Many churches were following a Lenten Liturgy, symbolically following Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem and to the cross.

The gospel reading for today from the end of chapter 9 of St Matthew reminds us that with or without the use of our buildings we all have a calling – Jesus said, `The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few, therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.’ We can certainly use this time to pray and to seek God and to see where God is inviting us in his mission.

We have just celebrated Pentecost and before the coming of the Spirit, the apostles were virtually living in hiding in the upper room. A great task had been entrusted to them, yet they had neither the strength nor the will to begin it. But after Pentecost they were changed people.