- 111, Pickhurst Lane
- Hayes
- Bromley
- KENT
- BR2 7HU
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The Ministers Letter,
Dear Friends,
Last Saturday I sang Handel’s Messiah with my choir, the Allegri Singers. It was a wonderful evening. Being able to sing again with an orchestra and professional soloists felt great after the Covid restrictions of the last few years, and I hope that everyone, both performers and audience, was uplifted by the music.
I know Messiah quite well, having sung it several times, usually on Good Friday, but was struck this time on the importance and relevance of the piece for the beginning of Lent, as we journey towards the Passion and the Cross. It doesn’t tell the story of Jesus’ life, but instead, cleverly, uses passages of Scripture, from the prophecies of Isaiah and the psalms through to the Gospels, Letters and Revelation, to put the story of Jesus’ life into context, as the one who was long expected – the fulfilment of prophecy and Saviour of the world. I would encourage you to find a recording and listen to it if you can – let the words and music flow over you and let them inspire you for your journey through Lent to Easter and beyond. I find the final, long, ‘Amen’ particularly uplifting, as we are all, singers and listeners alike, encouraged to add our own ‘Amen’, our acknowledgement of the story, of our faith, and of our trust and belief in the God of John 3:16, the God who loves the world so much that he sent his Son to live among us, to suffer, and to die, so that we may have eternal life with him.
I pray that Lent will be a time of growth for us all, a time of growing closer to God, as we reflect on Scripture together in Bible Study or discussion groups, or simply observe the changing seasons, as we watch for the signs of spring appearing in our gardens, parks and all around.
With love and blessings,
Alison