Rev Paul's Thoughts for July 2016

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life"  – Matthew 6:25.

T

WELVE months ago a small group of people were putting together plans for a flower festival and no doubt feeling fairly anxious about how it would all turn out. However here we are twelve months later and we can say without question everything went well and they had no need to worry. Part of its success was due of course to the careful planning and fund-raising of the church people.

If we turn to scripture (Matthew 6:25-34) we are given some very good advice about the futility of worrying and how it makes not one bit of difference. Our Heavenly Father knows what we need and will provide it. Nothing is to be gained by worrying. This is certainly a lesson to me as I constantly worry about things like church attendance, our corporate prayer life, whether we are doing enough in the community and so on. And, yes, all these things are relevant and important.

H

OWEVER, we are people who live by faith and we have to learn to trust that God will provide, to be faithful in our prayers and to accept that God knows what we need even before we ask him. Sometimes we make a mess of things because we do things without spending the time to put our thoughts and ideas before our Heavenly Father and without exception he forgives us and when we turn to him he sorts us out.

As a church it should be part of our DNA to pray together for the life of our church and our community and seek his guiding hand in all things.

It is always a privilege to see the fruits of prayer and sometimes even a surprise because what we think the outcome will be becomes something very different. God never ceases to surprise us.

I

N recent weeks I have been praying for the confirmation candidates individually and would ask you to do the same. It is always a blessing to any church to prepare people for confirmation. This year we have three children and four adults and I would love to see all of our congregation at the service to support them. I believe our presence at this service is an outward sign of our commitment to the future life of the church.

P

LEASE pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, not only on the candidates but on the whole church as we navigate difficult times in our nation and especially as we come out of Europe. None of us knows what that will mean but I am convinced that we need now, more than ever, the steadying hand of God to guide us. As we move into some uncertain times, may we keep faithful and trust that God is in charge and all will be well.

Faithful one so unchanging,

ageless one, you are my rock of peace.

Lord of all I depend on you.

I call out to you again and again.

You are my rock in times of trouble.

You lift me up when I fall down.

All though the storm your love is an anchor. 

My hope is in you alone.

Your friend, Rev’d Paul

July 2016