18th January 2021

Green pastures are before me,

Which yet I have not seen;

Bright skies will soon be o’er me,

Where darkest clouds have been.

Anna L. Waring

Rachel’s sermon this Sunday has set us the challenge of thinking about our sense of calling. That always seems to imply not just faith (we are being called by a God who loves us) but also optimism. At a time when we seem to be called to retreat (stay at home, protect yourself and others), we are being challenged to think of the time when skies will be brighter, pastures green once more and we can engage again with the community that seems to have been put in the freezer for a while. I find myself thinking of the scene in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe where Aslan wakes Narnia up from winter and spring comes once more. And when that happens, where will I fit in…?

Nick Parsons