As we begin Lent our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine. What fear and horror they are living through as the war intensifies and many more innocent people suffer and die.

Over the pandemic we have come to use Zoom for many meetings, services, training events, funeral visits, family chats (I am also aware that some of you haven’t had this facility but please read on).

One of the positives of using this facility is that it has enabled the users to see each other. It has helped us get to know others across the circuit.

As a minister within the life of the church we get to see the real highs and lows of people’s lives. The highs as people have a day of celebration and are married, the lows as people grieve the loss of a loved one or are anxiously trying to make sense of where God is as they receive bad news.

My husband Peter was an eternal optimist and always saw the best in everyone and everything. He was also a Yorkshire man therefore, he was also always honest and would say things as he saw them, or as they were, albeit with a large dose of humour, a wry smile, and even a twinkle in his eye! He (and therefore we) did not “do Valentine’s Day”, his reason being that he did not need a saint’s day to remind him to tell people he loved them.

I’m writing this from self-isolation, having brought back American Covid at the weekend! Thankfully, unlike everything else in the USA, it isn’t bigger than ours, I’ve only got mild symptoms and expect to be back to normality (whatever that is for me!!) soon.

As we look back over the past month the first verse of hymn 116, Singing the Faith comes to mind.

“Sing for God’s glory that colours the dawn of creation”, the sun has been glorious in these short days that are so often dark, the sunsets even better and last week the ‘wolf moon’ was stunning.

Earlier this month we celebrated the feast of Epiphany when the Magi visited Jesus and were the first gentiles to visit the incarnate God. They offered him gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

We all have gifts to offer God. Perhaps we haven`t much gold lying around at home and the supermarket may be right out of Frankincense, but the small acts of kindness that we offer to each other in the name of Jesus are as precious to him as the Magi`s costly gifts.