I haven’t been reading anything this week unfortunately. Too busy!
Whilst writing this I am listening to: Dzieki Ci Panie “Missa de Misericordia”
Fun Fact of the week: Lemons float in water, but limes sink! Limes are denser than lemons with a higher specific gravity causing them to sink.
I have worked out that my diary for ‘next week’ always looks manageable and allows space for rest and recuperation. However, by the time ‘next week’ becomes ‘this week’ it has inevitably filled up with the various tasks involved in running a church. This week has seen meetings with funeral families, planning school services, submitting our annual facts and figures to the national church, taking hall bookings, cutting wood for our art project, buying a second hand TV for youth club,etc. Anyway, next week looks quite light at the moment so hopefully things will slow down then!
A highlight of the week was appearing on Gloucester FM 96.6. This is our local radio station and Elder Saunders invited me on to the Wednesday 6pm Family Time Show. We chatted about my favourite subject, me!
Listen Here: https://player.autopod.xyz/1306933
Speaking on the radio reminded me of teaching online during the Covid lockdown. You speak into a mic and have no idea if anyone is listening or paying attention. It requires a fair amount of confidence and self-assurance to keep on speaking with none of the usual body language or visual cues to encourage you.
This reminded me of this season of the church year that we are in: The time between Ascension (on Thursday 14th May) and Pentecost (Sunday 24th May). In these ten days the followers of Christ have seen him arise to the heavens and are now awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is potentially a period of uncertainty as the confidence and self-assurance that they gained from the presence of the Risen Christ amongst them has now gone. And yet, the gospels tell us that the disciples waited with joy. They had seen enough in the Risen Christ to know that promises would be fulfilled and they had not been abandoned.
Wherever we find ourselves this week or next, I pray that we might know something of the disciple’s joy; a deep joy, because even though we experience times of abandonment and loss there is, at the very ground of our being, a promise of resurrection and new life. As we look ahead to the week ahead we can do so joyfully, in the sure and certain faith that the Holy Spirit will be with us and within us.
As always, if you would like me to pray for, or have a conversation about anything then do get in touch. I am available to listen and share in whatever might be arising for you at this time.
"Nothing can separate us from the love of God revealed to us in Christ Jesus" Rom 8:38-39
With peace and blessings,
Rev Steve
07503164309
My day of rest this week is Monday.