June 2024

Dear Friends

I write this at the end of April. In other words, at the end of the dullest, wettest and coldest Spring in living memory?

We are all longing for bright, strong sunlight and real warmth to lift our mood, help rescue the crops in sodden fields and set nature into full on new growth mode.

ous month of long sunny days, gentle showers of life-giving rain and vigorous green growth of all our plants and crops from the earth. The growth cycles of the natural world can be a helpful comparison for us when thinking about our own spiritual growth in our relationship with God.

Jesus of course used everyday examples and illustration from nature constantly. Jesus grew up in a fully organic farming and fishing culture and his teaching was liberally illustrated with references to it.

Sowing seeds, weeds, feeding the soil, harvesting, vines and pruning, fruitfulness, barns and crop storage, trees, birds, flowers, sheep, shepherds and fishing nets, fish catches and weather too, not to mention the seasons of the year. One question we can ask ourselves is "what season is my spiritual walk with God in? The cold depths of winter's rest? The fresh new growth of spring's surprises? The long fullness and business of summer activity for God? Or the more reflective autumn years of gathering fruit and passing it on to others?"

We can experience these different seasons of the life of faith at any stage in our lives. The question for us to ask ourselves and God, is "which season am I in? How do I inhabit that season to the full in his wisdom and strength and how do I move forward from this one into the next one when that time comes?"

We would like to develop a small music group to accompany more All Age/Family Style services of worship in our village churches. If you play an instrument and would be interested, please join us for an exploratory session on Saturday 6th July at 3pm for an hour or two. For more details please do contact me.

Kind regards

A Prayer:
Lord, thank you for the work you do in me every day.
I know that, just like the vines in the garden, I go through seasons where I need pruning, and seasons where I bear fruit.
In each season draw me closer to you, help me to grow so that I can continue to be fruitful for the good of those around me and the coming of your Kingdom.
Amen.