Newsletter

Sharing God’s Love

WOW! – we’re into Lent already; the spring bulbs are brightening our gardens, summer holidays are getting booked up and we put the clocks forward in just over three weeks’ time!

We’ve finished the first part of our Parish considerations on “Sharing God’s Love” through the first Mark of Mission ( “Tell the Good News”), so perhaps Lent is a good time to briefly ask ourselves what, if anything, has changed in ourselves, our attitudes, our churches .
I suspect that for some the honest answer is “no change” – or “why change”
Traditionally Lent has been a time of change, originally penance, fasting and prayer; more recently a time of change in not indulging ourselves as we often do, or a time to do something new like praying lovingly for world leaders as Rector Lee suggested last week.

Sometimes we may ask “why isn’t God acting more quickly” or “why are we spending a whole year considering the ‘Sharing God’s Love’ challenge?”. I think part of the answer lies in the Jews years of wandering in the wilderness –  When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” (Ex 13:17)
Our shift to one Parish focus of sharing God’s love will be more effective and lasting if the preparation takes a bit of time. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks* writes about that Exodus passage: ‘Change takes time. Even God himself does not force the pace. That is why he led the Israelites on a circuitous route, knowing that they could not face the full challenge of liberty immediately. There are no shortcuts on the long walk to freedom.’           
            Let’s look again at those banners in our churches and see an emerging clarity of vision rather than an old, static mist; let’s find in this Lent a fresh understanding of God’s Love for all people, which led Jesus through crucifixion to resurrection.

(*Exodus: The Book of Redemption);

Tony Bethell (Reader)