Dear Friends,
Tomorrow, Thursday, is Ascension Day. After witnessing Jesus being taken from them in a cloud, the disciples returned to Jerusalem to wait; to wait for what Jesus had promised them, power from on high. They were forced to stay behind locked doors. They were afraid of what would happen to them. No indication as to how long the wait would be. For them, it was to be a mere 10 days. For us it seems like for ever. I sense there is a rising tide of impatience regarding the lifting of lockdown. It is as if the fairly minimal relaxation that we are presently experiencing is acting as an incentive to go further, faster. Nowhere is this more evident than when it comes to the re-opening of places of worship. I know that numbers of you are eagerly looking forward to the Free Church being open soon. I, and the Elders appreciate this, but at the same time we have to be both careful, and cautious. So, please continue to be patient. When we are ready, and when we are satisfied that we can function with minimal risk to anyone who attends, then will be the right time, but not until then…
…It is likely that during this extended period of enforced isolation, two activities have taken centre stage as it were: gardening and reading. I have nothing useful to say as far as gardening is concerned. But as for reading? Well, what about the Bible? Too often our encounter with Scripture is just a short passage or passages as part of a Sunday Service, or a Daily Bible Reading plan. Why not take the opportunity for some extended Bible reading? So, e.g. If you want intrigue, adventure, romance, why not begin with Genesis chapter 12, through to the end of the Book of Exodus; or perhaps 1 Samuel through to the end of 2 Kings. If you want to reflect on life as it is, try Job, or Proverbs, or Ecclesiastes. Or else, why not read one of the Gospels from beginning to end, and then the Book of Acts. Just because it’s the Bible, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good read! Indeed, it was compiled in the way it was to encourage extended reading. So, in between Jane Austin & Jo Nesbo, give the Bible a go; you won’t regret it…
…Please continue to keep contact with each other. And if you can do nothing else, please pray for one another. Prayer is powerful. It keeps us in touch with God, and with each other, and with the wider world. Prayer has been described as thinking out loud in God’s presence. It is a way of saying what we think about, and thinking about what we say. It serves as the release valve on this pressure cooker existence that is life during lockdown. So, stay safe, keep well, be patient. The future is getting closer every day, and one day it will become for us the present day, but until then, as with the disciples we continue to wait…
Ian Tutton