Minister's Letter May
Dear Friends,
May is a busy month, with lots going on in our lives and in the churches. Pottering in the garden last Sunday, I was struck by the busyness in the natural world too, as I listened to the birds; and day by day, you can see changes, as plants grow and develop, some putting on new leaves or flowers, others growing taller and bushier, and newly planted seeds starting to sprout – it’s always exciting to see what will come through first.
The period after Easter was a time of change and growth in the disciples and in the formation of the early church, as they came to terms with the death of Jesus and discovered what his resurrection meant for them, and what it means for us as Christians today.
Picnics on the beach, challenges to feed, and to care; to love one another; and to share the Good News of God’s love with the world. And then, at the end of this month (26th May) we celebrate Ascension Day, the day when Jesus was taken up to heaven, to sit at God’s right hand. This was a time of celebration for the disciples – as Luke tells us, the disciples “returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.” (Luke 24:52-53).
In the great commission of Matthew 28, Jesus sends the disciples to go out and make disciples, ending with these words “be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” These are words for us too – words that challenge and encourage; words that send us out, to share our own Good News stories with one another and with the world around us. We do that as we mark Christian Aid Week, and we do it as we send the members of Trinity out in prayer, as they, very sadly, bring their congregation to a close, worshipping together for the final time on the 22nd May.
Whatever joys and challenges this month brings for you, remember those words of Jesus – he is always with us, and will never abandon us. He sits at God’s right hand, and nothing can separate us from his love.
With love and blessings,
Alison