Saturday 2 January 2021

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Happy New Year! As we begin this new year, let us pray for grace, hope and resilience for ourselves, for one another, and for our wider world, remembering that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ.

Thank you for all your Christmas cards, gifts and good wishes. David and I were very touched by all your kindness, encouragement and support. Although we were sorry not to be able to see our sons, who are in the UK, we have had a very happy and restful break over these last few days.

This Sunday we will be celebrating Epiphany when we remember the coming of the Magi, the star gazers from the East, as they follow the star to Bethlehem to worship the Christ child. Our service, as always, can be found here.
I am thankful to Archana for preaching this Sunday and to Hector, Martin and Art for putting the service online.

Lectio Divina
A group of us will meet as always on Thursday morning, 10.30am - 11.15am, via zoom. The meeting includes silent reflection on a short Bible passage, with opportunity to share our thoughts at the end. Those who participate in this find it both strengthens and nourishes each one of us in our own faith and also deepens community as we learn from one another. If you have never tried this, perhaps you might want to join us and make this a new discipline for this year. Let me know if you would like to participate and I will send you the zoom link.

Bible Studies:
The next online Bible study will be on Tuesday 26th January. . Everyone is welcome. I will send out more details about this and the Men's group soon.

A poem for Epiphany:

The Magi
It might have been just someone else's story;
Some chosen people get a special king,
We leave them to their own peculiar glory,
We don't belong, it doesn't mean a thing.
But when these three arrive they bring us with them,
Gentiles like us, their wisdom might be ours;
A steady step that finds an inner rhythm,
A pilgrim's eye that sees beyond the stars.
They did not know his name but still they sought him,
they came from otherwhere but still they found;
In palaces, found those who sold and bought him,
But in the filthy stable, hallowed ground.
Their courage gives our questing hearts a voice
To seek, to find, to worship, to rejoice.
(Malcolm Guite)

Reflection for the New Year
As we begin this new year, we may be acutely aware of the uncertainty, anxiety and instability of our world. We face this uncertainty and insecurity in our own lives, in the lives of our families and friends and in our church community. We cannot know what lies ahead, but we can know the sure love of God, and in that we put our trust.

The Gate of the Year (God Knows)

I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
'Give me a light that I might tread safely into the unknown.'
And he replied:
'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.'
(Minnie Louise Haskins)

With love in Christ,
Helen