Sunday Worship Sheet

A few weeks ago, I preached about Abraham’s call by God to “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1) Despite any misgivings he may have had, Abram (as he was known then) was faithful to God’s call and set off towards the land of Canaan, coming to the Negev Desert. I reflected that, as he looked out towards the desert, he would have known that he could never go back to being the person he was before, or even to that place, because God’s call had changed him.

Over the last couple of weeks I have read some notes I made whilst on a retreat called `Rhythms for Living’.

I began to reflect upon the different rhythms of life we encounter, the different seasons, the different seasons within our church life. For me personally I am about to start a new season in my life as a grandparent- just in case you haven’t heard!

I watched the dawn break over the roof tops in the sky. Slowly, steadily, quietly the light emerged. A pale light at first almost hesitant, as if not to be too brilliant, gaudy or dazzling. A warning light, steady to say the dawn is on its way.

It is my prayer for each of us, that as we journey on as the people of God, that we will pause and see the wonder of what we are doing. That we will see the shapes, the light and dark and the new perspectives that we have been able to find in trying to build the kingdom of God during Lockdown.

Be open at this time to what God is telling you, is He wanting you to experience new things and/or seeing things in a new way. See this time not as a time when you are being stopped from doing something but as a time when you can just be, be with God and to listen to what He has in store for you.

I write this letter on the Feast of the Epiphany, as we recall the visit of the wise men who travelled to Bethlehem to see Jesus. This account is only recorded in Matthew’s gospel. ( Chapter 2:1-12). We know that they came to see Jesus, guided by a star, and that they brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

I write this letter following the government announcement that we are to be in Tier 4.