Grace and peace to you from God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
As we traverse the complexity of our time, I am reminded of hiking in the mountains.
As a youngster I used to do quite a bit of hiking in the mountains. Often you can see the top of the mountain but when you reach the “top” you see that it was not the top at all and there is another and another summit before you reach the real mountain top. Or you walk along a path not realising that there is a valley that you have to go through to reach a point that as the crow flies is mere meters away but requires a kilometres long trek to reach. During extra-long slogs on foot it is the thought of the campfire that night and the warm drink and good company that keep you going. But it is also the reality that if you just stop, there is no getting off that mountain. The only thing to do, is to pick up your feet and keep walking.
If we are led by the Spirit let us walk by the Spirit. (Gal 5:25) The road is long and tiresome, and we are weary, but we are not without hope, and those whose hope is in the Lord will renew their strength (Isaiah 40:39) Soaring with eagles is often what one wants to do when on foot, but when we realise that in the mountains when we have a bird’s eye view and see the diversity of it all. The ragged crags, the deep valleys, and the streams, when we appreciate what is all around us (as an eagle could do soaring”) then our trudging seems worth it.
Let us not tire of doing good (Gal 6:9), let us find new ways of doing good, of reaching out and caring for one another. St Mary’s and Good Shepherd are not reaching the 50 at a service ceiling and we welcome more people to attend. Wednesday Services at Good Shepherd and St Gabriel’s are taking place.
It breaks my heart that for the safety of the Community we have stopped the clergy doing house visits in Wentworth. We can’t have the clergy spreading the virus from house to house and at the Services. But we are not abandoning God’s people we need to find other ways. This will also give people the assurance that we are doing our best to keep Sunday Services a safe space. We will also allow pastoral care at the Church in a controlled environment.
I repeat that we are providing a safe space for Worship on Sundays and Wednesdays; although we are limited to 50 per service, we encourage attendance. The clergy and the team are doing everything we can, to bring you the opportunity to “come into the house of the Lord and receive Him in word and sacrament.”
At present we will have a Saturday Service at St Gabriel’s twice a month – if the demand is there, we will increase that.
Be assured of my prayers. Keep the faith, Chose Faith not fear and remember that the God who calls you is faithful and will not fail you.
Fr Andrew.
