A message from the Rector, Hannah Jeffery
Little did I think over a year ago (March 2020) that I would still be writing to you in March 2021 in a time of lockdown. And whilst the signs are good that we really are beginning to emerge slowly from Covid-19, I think we all know that life will never be the same again. But that needn’t be a bad thing – in fact, it’s a really positive thing! If things never change, they eventually die.
The Christian journey is a journey of transformation. Of change. Of new life! You may be familiar of Jesus speaking about seeds having to die before new life would come. He of course modelled that for us in his own life, as he submitted to pain and death before rising again to new life. He also spoke of the need to prune a plant, to cut back what wasn’t bearing fruit, in order to allow for new growth.
The reality is, that change can be really hard, because it does entail us letting go of things that we might have treasured. It does entail us having to prune in order to make space for new growth. But so often, when we are willing to do those things, the new life that comes is surprising and wonderful! And so over these next months as we dare to hope that the worst of the Covid-19 restrictions may be over, let us also dare to renew our trust in a God who invites us to be courageous in terms of where he is leading us next, both in our own lives, and in our life as a church.
But alongside our discerning ‘what next’ together, we’ll also be wanting to ‘recover’ together. We have known an unprecedented amount of grief and loneliness, both as a church community and of course so much more widely than that too. As we start to emerge together, let’s make space simply to acknowledge some of the grief together – we need to do that in order to be able to move on. It is right and appropriate that we weep for all that has been lost and as we share in our pain, it will be important too to rejoice and look forward together in the hope that is still ours in Christ - a hope that cannot be shaken, that new life and joy will come – that is the wonder of the Easter story!
Much love to you all
Hannah
The Christian journey is a journey of transformation. Of change. Of new life! You may be familiar of Jesus speaking about seeds having to die before new life would come. He of course modelled that for us in his own life, as he submitted to pain and death before rising again to new life. He also spoke of the need to prune a plant, to cut back what wasn’t bearing fruit, in order to allow for new growth.
The reality is, that change can be really hard, because it does entail us letting go of things that we might have treasured. It does entail us having to prune in order to make space for new growth. But so often, when we are willing to do those things, the new life that comes is surprising and wonderful! And so over these next months as we dare to hope that the worst of the Covid-19 restrictions may be over, let us also dare to renew our trust in a God who invites us to be courageous in terms of where he is leading us next, both in our own lives, and in our life as a church.
But alongside our discerning ‘what next’ together, we’ll also be wanting to ‘recover’ together. We have known an unprecedented amount of grief and loneliness, both as a church community and of course so much more widely than that too. As we start to emerge together, let’s make space simply to acknowledge some of the grief together – we need to do that in order to be able to move on. It is right and appropriate that we weep for all that has been lost and as we share in our pain, it will be important too to rejoice and look forward together in the hope that is still ours in Christ - a hope that cannot be shaken, that new life and joy will come – that is the wonder of the Easter story!
Much love to you all
Hannah