Grace and peace to you from God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
I realize that there are rumours of trouble brewing around us and this time we are being asked to be prepared and vigilant. We have not been given a spirit that leads us back in to fear, but we have been given the Spirit of The God who loves us. Be bold and take courage, be courageous.
“People fainting from fear and expectation of the [dreadful] things coming on the world; for the [very] powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Luke 21:26 (Amplified Bible)
Jesus warned us that there would be tough times in our lives. The Bible teaches us that these tough times should awaken us to the fact that we need to repent and turn back to God. I encourage you to take seriously to heart the things going on in the world and respond by seeking God with all your heart soul and mind.
We should not fear the events in the world, but we should not ignore them either. We need to take every opportunity to deepen our relationship with God and to draw others into that relationship too.
I am currently looking at how we can reorganize ourselves as the Church to be effective in ministry in this season. Repeatedly I realize that mobilizing every member of God’s church is the only way that we will overcome the challenges of our time. We need every member of every parish to recommit to ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit. To commit to living our Gospel values where they are forgotten. Bringing hope where it has been lost, speaking truth where only lies and deceit are spoken. As St Paul says “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
That hope is rooted in the community of believers who strengthen each other and support each other. Let’s all focus on building our community – Thy kingdom come on earth as in heaven, means us living a heavenly life a God-centred life, here and now. We need to be noticeable by our holiness. Our holiness is not our goodness but our single-mindedness and devotion to Christ.
Be assured of my prayers as we face tomorrow in the confidence that we are the “beloved of God” sent with Christ and in Christ and through Christ, into the world to love the world back to God.
Love and Peace.
Rector.
