Words from Bede Circuit
Dear Friends,
I wonder if you have ever watched the world’s strongest man. This programme was usually on the TV between Christmas and the New Year. I was fascinated by these strong individuals who seemed to be superhuman in their strength. They would lift stones, pull lorry’s, and hold great lumps of steel, to prove how strong they were.
After watching this event, a competition would occur between my brother and I as we tried to copy the strong men,
It was my hope that one day I could be like the men on the TV and do what they did.
Sadly, what I did not realise, was that for this to happen it would take years of dedication, years of hard work, and this would need to become my sole aim in life.
I think it was the hostage Terry Waite that said after his captivity, ‘it is the hope that kills you’.
In recent weeks, we have seen the hopes of a divided nation played out in front of the TV cameras with the election in the USA. Many people put their hope for a better fairer way for society in a man called Joe Biden. Whilst supporters of the current President Donald Trump, said that Mr Biden offered no hope for Americans, and would in fact make America a less prosperous, less safe place than it currently is under Mr Trump.
In the last day or so, we have seen the international money markets and politicians around the world be quick to respond to the hope that they have in a vaccine to protect people from Covid 19. A moment of light and hope, in what has been a dark time for many in the world.
So, in all these things, and in other difficult situations that we have in our lives, where can we find a more certain hope for our lives?
What is for sure, is that it is not from the earthly realm where we will find such a secure hope.
Our hope as the people of God, comes from God, the maker of heaven and earth, the alpha and the omega, the ever present, the ever loving God, who is always present, always attentive and always with us in our lives.
It is when we place our hope in God, that we find a firm foundation for our faith and lives within the love of God.
So I encourage you this week, as the darkness continues to be all around us in this pandemic, as we watch on our tv screens and see the events unfold in the USA, as we see hospital beds fill up and see death tolls rise, I encourage you to pause and see the hope offered to us and to the world by God. As we approach advent, we wait in hope for the light of the world to come to us and abide with us. I encourage you to see the chinks of light breaking through the gloom and recognise them as God being active in our world and in our lives. Just as I realised that to be the worlds strongest man this would take a life’s work, we too, need to make our hope in God our life work. For this hope on which we build our lives, we give thanks to God, that even in this dark time the light of hope continues to shine for all to see and this light of hope will never be extinguished by the darkness.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Things will continue on Zoom:
Sunday services at 10.30am
Bible studies on Holy Habits series on Monday 7.00pm and Thursday 10.30am
Wednesday prayers at 10.00am
Please contact the Senior Church Steward (Brenda Wallace) for more details: wesleymemchurch.pr@gmail.com
Please stay safe and well and watch over each other in Christian love.
With good wishes and prayers on behalf of the Bede Circuit staff team.
Revd Matt Sheard