The minister writes… February 2021

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Dear friends,

It would be premature to say that spring is here. As I write this it is still officially two months away. And yet….snowdrops are in flower and other bulbs are pushing their way up into the light, soon to bloom and bring their sunshine colours to cheer us. The nights are getting shorter and the other evening, walking the dogs at 4.30pm – still in daylight (just!) – I heard the birds singing their last song of the day and the hoot of an owl just beginning his. The sounds and sights filled me with hope because they are signs of what is soon to come.

In the same way, it would be premature to say that we have waved goodbye to the long ‘winter’ of Covid. We still need to take care, we need to stay in when we can and keep our distance from others when we have to go out. It has been a long time. There have been times in the last year when the restrictions have relaxed and we have thought maybe we were coming out of the pandemic, only to have the reality of its presence felt all too cruelly as the number of Covid cases and Covid deaths rose exponentially during November and December. And yet…..there are signs of hope. The vaccination programme is being rolled out, not without some hiccoughs, true, but nevertheless it is continuing apace and each day we hear of more of our elderly or vulnerable friends receiving their first shot and we breathe a collective, if cautious, sigh of relief.

We cannot know at this point when it will be safe to return to church. Hopefully it will not be too far off. When we will be able to worship as we would really love to – without masks, sitting next to one another, singing the hymns, sharing the peace and enjoying fellowship after the service – well, I suspect that is still some time away. But every passing week, every passing day brings us a little closer to it.

This month sees the start of Lent. Wednesday 17th February is Ash Wednesday and there will be a Circuit service that day on Zoom (more details to follow in the notices). As we make our Lenten journey, we must acknowledge the pain and the losses we have had to bear over the last year. We must give them their due, but we must also acknowledge and give thanks that we have never been abandoned by the God who loves us. He has been with us, in Jesus, each step of the way and his faithfulness continues to uphold us. We must also travel in hope and expectation because this Easter will be very different from the last one. Last year we clung to the Resurrection promise but in our hearts and in our lives it felt more like we were stuck in Easter Saturday. This year we will be able to celebrate the breaking open of the tomb and the triumphant shout of joyful victory, and Easter will have new meaning for us.

So, my friends, have a good Lent. Be prepared to say goodbye to some of the old ways and get ready to welcome the new. Travel well in your spiritual pilgrimages and look to the hope of spring and the promise of Resurrection at the end of the journey.

With every blessing,

Sharon