As we enjoy a break to celebrate Easter, it is right to consider what brings us JOY.

As we celebrate the journey Jesus took to the cross and the resurrection, we find JOY in his words of eternal life and the love of God willing to do everything for us.

As we have joined together to worship and have given thanks, we take JOY from the fellowship we belong to and the faith that we share.

And as we journey towards Easter, may we find JOY in the little things - the sometimes unseen - as well as those seen by all. 

Lent began on Ash Wednesday. 

And some people will try fasting. 

Fasting is about giving things up in order to focus more on better ways of living. 

As we journey through Lent, maybe there are some life changes you want to make. To feel better, to do better, to think more clearly, to pray more regularly. 

Pope Francis suggested this as a list of ways of fasting that didn’t require anyone to give up eating:

• Fast from hurting words and say kind words.
• Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude.
• Fast from anger and be filled with patience.
• Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.
• Fast from worries and have trust in God.
• Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity.
• Fast from pressures and be prayerful.
• Fast from bitterness and fill your hearts with joy.
• Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others.
• Fast from grudges and be reconciled.
• Fast from words and be silent so you can listen.

As we try these things, we come closer to God and feel his presence. In these moments, the world feels less scary and unpredictable and our lives feel more valuable - as we see our worth is valued by the God who sent his Son for us to live full lives with him. 

Lord Jesus,

As we walk through times where the world feels unsettled - grant us your peace.

As we seek to get through our days - may your spirit bring us hope and joy. 

As we look to the future - may we see brightness and blessing in our path with you our God. 

Amen. 

New Year is a funny thing – at least for me.

It’s one of those things that feels like it is big. But is it?

It feels like we have so many new years…

September when school starts, Advent for the church calendar, January for parish finances and April for the tax year.

And maybe – if you don’t have an old fashioned paper calendar hung up at home like us - you don’t even notice the passing of the time if you rely on a google calendar or something similar. (For us - last year was endangered animals, this year is a Bristol based artist for a change)

At Church yesterday we spoke about Epiphany and the visit of the Wise Men to Jesus and the Holy family.

We took it as a moment to reflect on the year gone by and think about what we learned, what epiphanies we had - wow moments, learning experiences, moments of clarity.

We thought about the stars or signals we might be waiting for in our lives at the moment.

And we considered where we have followed God in our lives and where God might be leading us next.

We prayed this prayer:

God our Father, by whom we are called to ventures of which we cannot see the ending and by paths as yet untrodden; give us faith to go out always with good courage, knowing that in the power of your Holy Spirit we are made strong and that your love will never fail us. Amen.

My prayer is that your New Year brings you new blessings, that it brings joy and peace to you and your family.

Happy New Year everyone.

From time to time I am drawn back to consider the IMPORTANT things in life.

Watching the Remembrance parade on the TV at the weekend, taking part in the Remembrance service at Church on Sunday; these all motivate us to reflect.

A number of years ago I remember reading about a lecturer who held up a jar in their class. In it they placed large rocks that represented the important things in life. The rocks reached the top. They asked the students – is it full? Yes, they replied. The lecturer then got some small stones and scattered them in and they went in the gaps between the rocks. This represented things that were quite important but not priority. Is it full now? Yes, they replied. They then poured sand in and the sand filled the spaces – this represents the normal everyday things we do all the time. Is it full now? Yes, they replied. Finally the lecturer emptied a jug of water into the jar and put a lid on. The lecturer helped them reflect that the important things would never fit if we fill our days with the ordinary and everyday, the extras, and everyone’s expectations first.

Take some time this week to consider what the important things are for you.

Reflect and give thanks for the people in your life that are the most important to you. Give them some of your time, your attention.

Consider the things in your life that take up your time – are they good for you, are they a distraction, could you look at it differently.

Pray for yourself. When we feel full and overwhelmed, ask for peace and perspective. When we need someone or something, pray for God’s provision and for the presence of the Holy Spirit. And when we feel able to, maybe consider and pray for those around you that you might help in times of stress.

May God bless you and all those who are dear to you.

May his love fill your life and show you your worth is more than you might think or believe.

May his peace, that passes all our understanding, keep your heart and mind in his love. Amen

‘Open up, you gates!

Open wide, you aged doors

And the glorious King will come in.

Who is this glorious King?

The Lord, strong and mighty.’ (Psalm 24:7)

These past 2 weeks have seen us rejoicing with students collecting excellent results. Results that open doors, that release the gates that held them.

University places, College courses, apprenticeships and higher education await them as they see the pathways ahead stretch out in front of them.

Maybe you remember the elation, the joy of seeing doors opened to you and you considered the future looking hopeful and full of promise. We pray for those students – some I spoke to preparing to go to Leicester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Greenwich Universities – for their aspirations, hopes and safety and we celebrate with them.

We also came alongside those students who didn’t get the results they’d hoped for. The doors were only partially opened, the gates to other directions were opened instead. In these moments, we probably all have stories of having to pivot from one direction into something different. We may reflect on the sadness or the anti-climax, the lack of confidence in what comes next and how we might step forward into something we hadn’t dreamed of.

This September we will welcome students and staff back again. We will welcome students and staff afresh.

Some will have planned this step, some will have planned differently. Even those whose plans have been fulfilled may be facing circumstances that has shaken their footing – a health diagnosis, an accident, a life-event, financial or housing problems. We pray for those.

We pray for their safety, their hopes and dreams and the daily tasks that still need to be done.

Let us – regardless of who we are and what we face – roll up our sleeves and face the year ahead with boldness and faith.

Let us – regardless of how life feels at the moment – set our jaws to the task of generously caring for ourselves and those around us with humility and the stamina that comes from God.

Heavenly God,

Open up our eyes to the vision you have for our year ahead.

Set our strength to do the best we can with what we have.

Guard our hearts and minds as we seek to serve and be served in the terms to come.

And reward us with your peace, the joy of your love, and the warmth of your presence in all we do.

Amen

February 2025

Love is patient and Kind. Love is a many splendid thing. Can’t buy me love. Love is all around us.

Films, songs, books, paintings, photographs, and scripture are filled with stories and words of love.

This last week we have been thinking about REAL LOVE and what it would mean to show love for one another as Jesus commanded us to.

The story of St Valentine is one of courage and bravery – standing up for his faith and his devotion to the people he cared for in the 3^rd century when he lived. He wrote letters of encouragement and signed them ‘From your Valentine’. My question though is do we really know what real love is like and how can we show it in our thoughts, words and actions.

Paul says that Love is patient and kind, it is not rude, it isn’t jealous and rejoices in the truth. Love goes on. There is faith and hope and love, and the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13)

What would our schools and homes and cities be like if everyone showed these things in the life?

There would be more peace, and everyone would be more at peace too.

Lord God, you gave your only son to show your love for the world.

Help us to be courageous in showing love for each other.

Help us to be more patient and kind and to think of others as people loved by God.

Help us to make a fresh start everyday so that we might make the world a better place.

Amen