An Important pastoral letter, from the Vicar

REMINISCENCES TO MAKE YOU PONDER!

Dear friends

When I was a student (many years ago!) my friend and I shared a house with a music student named Tim. Tim was a baritone and he sang in both Uni choirs (as did I, surprisingly!) but he also sang in the Cathedral choir. However, he always protested that his interest in the Cathedral was purely musical! Many years later, as a curate, I attended the National 'LYCIG' (Leading Your Church Into Growth) conference and who should be leading it but Tim - resplendent in a dog collar!

We got to reminiscing and so I asked him how someone so anti- Church had ended up, quite literally, collared! He told me he'd been wandering through York one day and bumped into the Uni Chaplain, whose opening words to him were, 'Hi Tim, how's your walk with God these days?' and that simple encounter had got him thinking about his 'walk with God' & had changed the whole direction of his life.

We have been living through times of challenge and change over the past couple of years, haven't we? So I wonder, how is your walk with God going? It may be that you have lost your path or briefly stepped off it, or perhaps you feel anxious about sitting in church? (as an aside, whilst most places we visit in public have largely done away with sanitising, mask wearing and social distancing, this is not the case in any of the churches of our Benefice!)

Wherever we may be in our walk with God, we are reminded that we never walk alone and that God walks with us. (Psalm 23, for example) Even if we have turned away from Him, He remains faithful and Tim's story is a reminder that God has the power to find us and put us back on the path.

For whatever reason, you may be reading this and thinking that you don't need God, or Church but actually, as we go through unsettling times the support and prayers and fellowship and love of others; the simple routine of going to church regularly and the opportunity to be strengthened and sustained on your journey are exactly what each of us need and your church needs you too.

Please, as we look towards Advent and a new Church year, reflect upon your walk with God and step back onto the path. A new Church year is the perfect time to renew our commitment to God and to begin again the discipline and the joy of coming to Church and sharing in worship and praise with all God's family. We look forward to welcoming you to worship in our Benefice.

With love in Christ

Cindyx

Please note that if you would like to speak to Cindy or Chris further about the Pastoral letter, then you will find contact details at the end of the pew sheet.