Words from Bede Circuit
Dear Friends
I wonder if you have ever had that feeling of oh no, here we go again!
It could be that sinking feeling when the alarm clock goes off to tell you that it is time to get up. It could be that same feeling as when the plants did not grow quite right in the garden last year, and now they are doing the same thing this year. It could be when that same person that we know or love makes the same mistake yet again. It could be just simply having to face a situation that makes us fearful despite facing it a number of times before.
I heard a story on a radio series recently that involved an inventor who created a boat. He was so excited and so pleased with his efforts, that he decided to try out his boat on the local park lake. His boat was a success. After his success on the lake, he decided to try it out on the sea, but it was a simple construction and he soon got in trouble when the wind and the waves got up. He was rescued by the lifeboat.
Sometime later the inventor got itchy feet and wanted to go out on the water again. He did not want the same thing happening to his boat again, so he modified it, put extra protection on it, made it more buoyant and even put a cover on the top of it to keep him safe and dry. He launched it on the sea once again, but as before the wind and waves soon overcame the small vessel.
The RNLI man was the person telling this story, he was so annoyed that it turned out to be the same man he was having to rescue once again. He recalled saying to the inventor ‘it’s you! I cannot believe you are out in the same boat in the same weather and I am having to rescue you again. The inventor said, ‘well it’s not the same boat, but I’ll grant you it is the same type of storm’.
This got me thinking! Many of us maybe having that oh no, here we go again moment as we consider and once again reenter a national lockdown in our lives. Some may find this easy to deal with, others may find it hard with worries of isolation, separation and loneliness all being churned up again.
Each of us will have different thoughts about what we face and how we will overcome it. We will all have a different story to tell, a different experience that we bring, and different ways of coping with the lockdown on our lives once again.
I heard it said this week ‘here we go again we are all in the same boat’.
I think what I am trying to say is that it’s hard to say we are all in the same boat as we reenter lockdown, as each person’s experience of lockdown life was and will again be different. However, we may not be in the same boat but we are facing the same storm in the Covid 19 pandemic.
Just like the inventor needed the RNLI, at this time we need our faith, our lord and saviour and the love of God to help us bring some calm and peace to each of us as we face this storm in the leaky boats of our lives.
May God be at the very centre of your boat this day, and may you trust in God to calm the storm and see you through the days and weeks ahead
Mark 4: 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
Things will continue on Zoom:
Sunday services at 10.30am, Bible studies on Holy Habits series on Mondays 7.00pm and Thursday 10.30am; Wednesday prayers at 10.00am.
There is also the Sunday service sheet and services on Why Pay telephone conferencing. Please contact the Senior Church Steward (Brenda Wallace) for more details: wesleymemchurch.pr@gmail.com
Plans for Remembrance this year are different too but the Zoom service on Remembrance Sunday 8th November will include an Act of Remembrance and Wednesday prayers on 11th November will also include remembering those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our peace and prosperity.
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