PASTORAL LETTER
December 2024
Dear Friends,
Finding room for things can often be difficult, which is why, if you look in my garage you will find all the things that I don’t have room for in the house and am not quite sure what to do with. The trouble is that when I put these things in there, they are out of sight and therefore out of mind, they are essentially forgotten.
Likewise, it can also be difficult to find room for everyone who you might invite to come and share Christmas with you. I hear stories of people who have 12 or more for Christmas dinner and often the cry is “I’m not sure how we are all going to fit in….where are people going to sit?” On these occasions the house is full!
In the story of Christ’s birth, a story you know so well, played out in nativity plays up and down the country, the words from Luke 2 v7 will be uttered many times; “there was no room for them in the inn”. My challenge to you this Advent, is to find time and space to read the Bible and to reflect on the amazing person of Jesus as Son of God. Too easily we can put Jesus in the garage, because there is no room, where he is out of sight and out of mind. Let us also make space for Jesus at the table as we share together, for the house must never be too full to make room for him.
In your making room for Christ – can you not only find time and space to be with him and to welcome others in his name, but also consider how God may be calling you to be part of our mission and ministry here. We are a progressive church who are looking to take the love of God into our community and make a difference. However, we are restricted in this because there are some vital roles within the church that we are looking to fill.
The most urgent is the recruitment of a Property Team and Property Team Leader(s) plus someone to look after our Utility Bills (gas & electric). Without volunteers to be part of this work, our activities, income and our mission will be restricted. Please could you pray, listen to God’s voice and consider if you would be able to volunteer to help in this way.
Finding time and space to connect with Jesus is difficult, but I want to encourage you to be intentional in how you make space. Perhaps you could set a specific time aside each day, turn off your internet or phone for a set period, find a time and space where you can be quiet or alone. Also use some of the excellent printed material, an online resource (Methodist daily Bible readings are available on this link: https://www.methodist.org.uk/for-churches/resources/bible studies/ or simply read the story in the Bible.
Looking forward to seeing you all over Advent and hearing how God has spoken to you as you seek him and meet with him – in the garage or anywhere else.
God bless
Rev Nick