Letter from Bede Circuit

Dear Friends

Alleluia! Christ is Risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

One of the sounds that gives me joy is the song of the blackbird. Wherever I have lived I have had a blackbird that comes and sings. I can hear it sing in the early morning and late afternoon. At the moment- in the quiet and stillness I hear it more. It is as though the blackbird heralds a new day, a new gift, a new start.

My favourite part of the resurrection story is from St John’s gospel when Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and he calls her by name,` Mary’. Its one of those readings that when hearing it makes my hairs stand on edge, not in fear , but of joy. It’s a sound that heralds a new era, a new gift, a new start. Jesus alive. Resurrected.

And yes we can hear these for ourselves and then we turn on the TV and all we hear is doom and gloom.

How can we live as Easter people in this time of challenge and fear.

A couple of months ago I went on a 24 hour gathering of the superintendents in the District and the District chair. The time was led by Revd Howard Mellor who was one of my tutors at Cliff College. During this time we looked at the words of Ezekiel 47: 1-12. These words really spoke to me. They are words of hope when the people of God had been in exile for 25 years, and Jerusalem is a wilderness. These words offer a time when Ezekiel speaks words which herald a new start, a new hope is given, a vision of God.

The vision is one of new life, of restoration. At the end of the vision Ezekiel says, `On the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fresh fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water from them flows from the sanctuary.’

These words spoke to me as a reminder that in any stage in life we need to be looking to the sanctuary. to God so that living waters will flow. On the cross we are reminded of this. As they pierce Jesus’ side, blood and water flow out (20.34). The stream of living water flows from the place of prayer and sacrifice. Everything will live where the river goes.

We need to remain seeking God, to draw closer to him.

During our lock down, the circuit staff have been meeting on Zoom. One of the staff, I’m sorry I can’t remember who, said that they had heard the following challenge. `After the lockdown, will the church be resuscitated, or will it be resurrected?’ Will we go back to doing what we have always done, or will we be a church with a new vision, looking at the ways in which we can serve the community?

Just something for us to ponder….

But I pray we can use this time to draw closer to the one who is Living water, who is Life.

There will be another time of worship on April 19th on Zoom starting at 10.30am. You can access the service https://zoom.us/download. Please continue to look after one another and if you need help or support then please contact your pastoral visitor or minister.

Take care and stay safe.

With the prayers and good wishes of the Bede Methodist Circuit Staff

Revd Jane Carter


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