Words from Bede Circuit
Dear Friends
When I was knee high to a very small grasshopper, I used to enjoy the bedtime stories told by my mum (I must admit I loved them when I was a bit taller too) all off the cuff including all the very scarry voices. They were all the classics, stories of fearful billy goats going over the bridge where that troll lived, that family of bears traumatised by that blonde girl going round wrecking people’s furniture and eating their breakfast and the three pigs who used various building materials before finding that bricks were the best in fending off the troublesome local wolf population. My mum made those stories so vivid so real. When it was my mums turn to do the story after the milk and biscuit at the local playgroup, other volunteers would hastily finish the washing up to listen to the story. Stories are special, true stories all the more because they give us new insights into people ‘s lives and experiences. At the Easer Sunday circuit zoom service we as staff shared stories, testimonies no one more special than the other but real experiences of how God was working in people’s lives.
I remember on my first mission when I was at Cliff College, I was asked to give my testimony I questioned why me? surely other people had more exciting things to say, near death experiences or coming to the light after years of addiction. It would seem that a story of a young lad from a Christian family trying to make sense of it all was what was required that next evening. Learning to see the significance of that story in Sunday School of the paralysed man that Jesus healed so clearly portrayed by the lowering of that figure in the match box through the building brick walls after the cardboard from the corn flakes packet roof was lifted off. There are stories and recollections of how God works in our lives and how we come to the conclusion that Christ is indeed our own personal saviour, in essence our friend. Perhaps no flashing lights no standing ovations but perhaps a ripple of applause along the way. Let no one ever take your story away from you for your story is special because it is your story. Yes, this present story is special but is there a sequel, what happens next? Did the three bears live contently for ever, furniture repaired, porridge kept securely, did that country’s armed forces manage to put Humpty Dumpty back together again in he end. The challenge to us all is to make the sequel even more special, be open to what God is leading you to. Be ready to be the main character in new stories of God working in the lives of the people of the Bede Circuit. The greatest story is your story allow God to write it with you. We turn to the practicalities: -
Sunday worship continues on Zoom at 10.30am.
After last week’s bank holiday, the Bible Study returns to Monday at 7.00pm and Thursday at 10.30am.
Wednesday prayers at 10am continue as well on Zoom.
There are Whypay Sunday services and service sheets for use at home. For more information, please contact your pastoral visitor or minister.
Every blessing to you all,
Revd Neil Maynard on behalf of the Bede Circuit staff team