Thursday 7 January 2021

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

No doubt we are all shocked by the recent events in Washington DC. Let us keep the United States and its people in our prayers, and especially pray for President-elect Biden and his team as they prepare to take up responsibilities in this very difficult time.

This coming Sunday, 10th January, we celebrate the baptism of Christ. The service will be on the website from Saturday evening.

The council will be meeting next Tuesday to review the situation in relation to future services in church.

Sunday coffee time will begin again this Sunday and continue while there are no services in church. This is at 11am, via zoom. It is an opportunity for us to 'meet' to chat and to share our thoughts about the readings and the sermon if we wish to. Ask Helen for the zoom link.

The Men's Group will also meet this Sunday at 10.45am. The meeting will include an interview with Martin Browne. If you are interested to attend please do let David or me know.

Lectio Divina
A group meets every Thursday morning, 10.30-11.15am to meditate on a short passage from the Bible, and then share our reflections. Everyone is welcome. Let me know if you would like to attend and I will send you the zoom link.

Last Sunday we celebrated Epiphany, the coming of the Magi from the East to worship the Christ child. Archana preached an excellent sermon. Some of you may know T.S. Eliot's poem The Coming of the Magi, which you can read here.

The poem is an imaginative and thought-provoking retelling of the journey of the Magi. It tells not only of the hardships on their long journey to Bethlehem, but also their uneasy questioning on the journey home. They are 'no longer at ease', knowing that their old way of life will never be the same again; the birth of Christ means a death to their old way of life and thinking. Discovering the truth of God in Christ is not only comforting but is also challenging.

Hope and strength for this new year
We are now in Epiphanytide. One of my favourite Epiphany hymns is O Worship the Lord in the Beauty of Holiness. I encourage you to reflect on its words.

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
bow down before him, his glory proclaim;
with gold of obedience, and incense of lowliness,
kneel and adore him: the Lord is his name!

Low at his feet lay thy burden of carefulness;
high on his heart he will bear it for thee,
comfort thy sorrows, and answer thy prayerfulness,
guiding thy steps as may best for thee be.

Fear not to enter his courts in the slenderness
of the poor wealth thou wouldst reckon as thine:
truth in its beauty and love in its tenderness,
these are the offerings to lay on his shrine.

These, though we bring them in trembling and fearfulness,
he will accept for the name that is dear;
mornings of joy give for evenings of tearfulness,
trust for our trembling and hope for our fear.
J.S.B.Monsell

As we begin this new year, let us make time to bring our whole selves in worship before God and lay down our burdens before him. As we do that, let us trust that God will comfort our sorrows, answer our prayerfulness and guide our steps in the way that is best for us. May we all during this year find 'mornings of joy...for evenings of teafulness, trust for our trembling and hope for our fear.'

With love in Christ,
Helen