THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - From Alan

Change and the only constant

So as we move into the month of October, the weather is changing. The temperature has dropped, and the darker nights are starting to draw in.  In particular, we notice getting up of a morning in the dark.  It won’t be long until for many of us we will be going to work in the dark and coming home again in the dark.  Life is full of change, and the seasons highlight that more than anything. The warmth and brightness of the summer months are increasingly becoming a distant memory.  Change is constant.

However, as Christians we have a one true constant Which forever remains the same. That constant is Lord Jesus Christ and the promise of salvation.  As John 3: 16-17 tells us

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

This coming month in the Oasis services we will begin to explore the concept of the New Covenant and what that means in our current age. This new covenant which centres on the transformative relationship we each have with Jesus as the one true means of salvation. It is not something we need to earn by good deeds or rule keeping, but through acknowledging Jesus as Lord and Saviour, and accepting the grace of God through faith and trust.

Last weekend myself, Daniel, Rachel and Emma, took another step in our journey as we were licenced as Lay Ministers at York Minster by the Archbishop. It was an absolutely fantastic service, but one thing that struck me was the number of people who processed into the Minster. It was a real show of faith, with so many standing up to be recognised as having that special relationship with our Lord.

As we look towards the weeks ahead let us pray that our understanding of Jesus and our relationship with Him, grows ever stronger.

Alan