14 June

Friends,

It seems hard to believe that we’re approaching our third Sunday together – our shared journey has been all too short! This is, of course, the time of year when many of you will be journeying to set off on holiday and the journeying is sometimes the most stressful part of the holiday experience! But it’s a necessary part of getting to and from our holiday destination.

In the same way, our journey of faith is not without its ups and downs, but if we keep in mind that we’re travelling to God’s kingdom then we can be sure God will sustain us on our journey. And let’s not think that we won’t reach God’s kingdom until we die, for weren’t Jesus’ opening words in Mark’s Gospel to tell us that ‘the kingdom of God is at hand’? So, the kingdom is a present reality that we are invited to enter into now - if we choose to follow in the way of Jesus. And just as Jesus’ earthly journey had its ups and downs, the same is likely to be true for us. 

And that’s one of the reasons why being part of the Christian community is so vital – it’s so much more than just coming to church on a Sunday! We need to enter into that community, share our life experiences with our fellow travellers and listen to theirs – as well as praising God, bringing him our prayers and listening to what his Word is saying to us. Then we shall be much better equipped to play our part in the ministry of all

Believers. 

But we also need to get the balance right and so I would wish you all safe travels on your summer break and on your journey of faith.

Derek