We look forward in the coming weeks to welcoming Revd Jassica to join us here in Great Yarmouth. It’s a big step for her and her family as they travel to a region they know little of and to serve among people they don’t know. However, I am confident they will be made welcome.This week, our first reading seems like a small step in the grand scheme of the Acts of the Apostles but was actually a huge step in the early church’s mission. Paul receives a vision of a man pleading for help in Macedonia, and he and his companions immediately respond, crossing into new territory to preach in a new land to new people. In Philippi they encounter Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, who becomes the first recorded convert in Europe. The faith is spreading.This passage is rich with encouragement. Following her encounter, Lydia and her household are baptised which reminds us that God often guides us in surprising ways, opening doors we might never have considered. Lydia also shows openness in listening to a new voice and a new teaching, even if she was not expecting it. Her faithful response helped sow the seeds of Christianity in a new continent.Fr Simon
This Sunday’s Gospel reading is one of the many passages of scripture which set off an instant ear worm of a well-known hymn, song or anthem that I have sung since my youth. From John 13:34, ‘A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another, as I have loved you’ instantly started me singing. Singing is such an integral part of our worship, and not just because it’s an uplifting way to worship God. We learn so much theology from the hymns that we sing and the anthems we hear. St. Augustine said ‘He who sings, prays twice’, or words to that effect and there is no doubt that singing has a powerful way of connecting us to the divine. So, next time you are in church, don’t be afraid to sing your heart out!Rev Liz
We are at the point in the year when spring is on turbo charge. Trees are bursting out in green leaf, beautiful flowers are emerging everywhere and our gardens are going into overdrive, and out in the countryside the fields are full of skipping spring lambs following their ewe mums around. In our Gospel reading, Jesus likens himself to a shepherd who is so well-known and trusted by his sheep that they know his voice and follow him. The Psalm set for this Sunday is Psalm 23 which describes God as our shepherd, who provides us with nourishment and leads us to water to drink. He protects and guides us through times of trouble and darkness, even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. He is our comforter and our strength.In a world where there are many strong voices calling us to follow them, often along a path which will lead to pain rather than joy, we must be ready to listen for the voice of God through Jesus, gently calling us to follow him along a path of love, righteousness and peace.Rev Liz
It was lovely to notice Morris dancers in the town on May Day: dancing in the Market Place and also outside Blackfriars Tavern. The joyful noise they make brings a smile to peoples’ faces as they find themselves caught up in the glee whilst they pass by on their daily chores. Joy is found in the ordinary.This Sunday’s Gospel draws us to the lakeshore. It’s a familiar place where the disciples, still dazed by reports of a risen Jesus, return to what they know: fishing. Here in the ordinary Jesus meets them. The miraculous catch of fish reminds them who He is. The fire on the shore, the shared breakfast, and the quiet moment with Peter — all tell us that the risen Christ is not distant or aloof. He is deeply personal. He is with us.Easter is not a one-day event but is a season, a journey, a deepening revelation. This is why the season of Easter lasts many weeks; so we can take time to fathom the mystery first witnessed by the disciples and claim that in the ordinariness of our own lives today.Father Simon
