Friday, 12 June 2020
Dear Friends in Christ,
Thought for the Day …
I realize that I have already sent one letter this week, a letter which was primarily focused on the current confusion over the re-opening of our churches. I am afraid I still have no further news on that situation, although I will write again as soon as things become clearer.
In this letter I want to draw away from the mayhem and muddle that has been generated by the various ways in which we may or may not be able to exit our prolonged period of lockdown. In this letter I want to speak of a quiet success that we have enjoyed in our Benefice.
As soon as the lockdown began we set up a new website. Our website (https://corbyglenchurches.uk) has been providing spiritual resources for many people for almost three months. Those resources have been, and continue to be accessed by a large number of people from all around the world. Through modern technology we have been able to play our part in furthering God’s mission in this troubled world.
In recent days I have received a request to include a short reflection on our daily readings – a sort of Thought for the Day that might help us to focus on God’s message for us on a day-by-day basis. I have to admit that my first reaction was to wonder: Why? But then, having thought and prayed about it, I can see the point. We hear words that are, very often, familiar to us, but what do we do with them? We listen, we recognize, we think we understand and then we get on with life. Far too often we forget that Jesus’ words are meant to inform and shape our lives. Whilst a two – three minute reflection does not sound like much of a road map for the day, I hope that by starting to post a daily reflection on the website (as a complement to the Daily Prayer service) I might be helping you to consider what Jesus is saying, and how we might change our attitudes and thus become even closer to the God we love, and who certainly loves us.
Do give them a try, and let me know if you have any ideas for developing our website further.
With all good wishes to you all and every blessing,
Revd Stephen