Dear Friends
As I write this, we have had our first few storms, and Rachael and I have completed Advent and Christmas rotas, and Tiff has printed the Christmas flyers. (See below)
As it was famously said in Game of Thrones:
Winter’s coming, John Snow
My prayer life over trees and our buildings has got stronger.
People have replaced their Halloween decorations (find these very strange) with their Christmas decorations. Yet before we jump into the Christmas season too soon, we have Advent, but that is for my December blog. Just to get on your radars, from 29th November we’ll have a daily reflection and read the Gospel of Matthew through Advent.
However, before we get into the season of getting ready and, for us, the Church, a busy season, we are invited into calm.
Something to celebrate after a week of storms and a two-week half term. Calm and stillness. I recently had my MDR (ministry development review), something you do every two years. We talked about the importance of rest and retreat, and finding places of stillness and calm. A great question I was asked was this.
Where do you go and find calm and peace?
She went to ask How do you hear God’s voice. Great question. It also reminds me of Jesus’ great miracle in the storm.
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Matthew 4:39-41
Jesus simply stills the storm, which, as we begin storm season, would be helpful, yet the point of this story is not calming windy storms. It’s about putting our faith in Jesus. However, the next level is that if we are to have this faith, we need to take time to come into the stillness.
So, a challenge for us this November.
How can you find calm and stillness?
How might you make space to find time to hear God’s voice and be still with him? Maybe take that TV show off the plan, one less coffee meeting or 30 mins up early to find that space.
As when we find that space, we find peace.
Love and prayers and peace this November.
God bless
Mark
