Beloved in Christ

Greetings in the name of our Lord. As it says in one of the week’s readings, ‘Grace, Peace and Mercy’!

It is a brighter day – and a beautiful one.  The sun is rising and setting higher in the sky, and there is crisp frost on the ground.  Everyone is walking their dogs, and greeting one another.  I don’t know of one 80+ year old who hasn’t been notified about, or received their jab! There seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel. Numbers of Covid cases are dropping, and there is even talk of children returning to school in March.  I am with my grandsons twice a week now, and re-learning how little minds work, sharing their delight in capering, climbing and clawing wetness and cold, and of course learning how clever they are to know terms about bears go into torpor, and male otters being called boars! Mostly, I rediscover the simple joys of childhood when one is invincible, immortal and all-powerful (and all loving!)  Bless you and your families, and let us take heart and pray for one another!

I have recently downloaded an app on my phone called, ‘Pray as you go’. It is about 12 minutes long, starts with music, a lectionary reading, and a reflection. I recommend it highly. Do ry it!

‘Join the Conversation’ Ecumenical Zoom on Tuesdays continues very well

This Wednesday’s Zoom will be moving to Thursday at 8, for this week only.  The link is:

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2091141378?pwd=c0pJbXNqNWJUUDl4SnJUMXVBVVNEdz09

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Should you be following from home, we read up to Mark Chapter 8.

Lent is coming up in February and we plan to purchase a booklet for every one of us, with contemporary reflections.  More news of that later!

Here is a prayer by Thomas Merton, Cistercian monk:

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Not do I really know myself,

And the fact that I think I am following your will

Does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you

Does in fact please you.

And I hope I have that desire

In all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything

Apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this

You will lead me by the right road,

Though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust you always, though I seem to be lost

And in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me,

And you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

Readings for Sunday are:

Deut. 18:15-20; 1 Cor.8:1-13; Psalm 111; Mark 1:21-28

The demoniac shouts, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus..? Many of us call that out now, as our world is also turned upside down, and challenging our normal ways of thinking and being.  Jesus wants, should we ask, to heal us, make our lives right itself, communicate with us, journey with us, and listen to us.  Let us turn to him in prayers and petitions.

God bless you in every way

Kathy Barrable

07752 503859