Keep walking…
We continue
to explore the theme of discipleship in our Sunday services. The
language often used in the bible for living our lives with God is that
of walking. People of old walked everywhere and taking footsteps was
very much the rhythm of life. To walk with God was to journey with him
at every moment of the day – to share the whole of life with him.
The London
Institute of Contemporary Christianity, LICC for short, champions the
idea of whole life discipleship – all of us are full-time Christian
workers. They even produce FTCW badges for people to wear to help remind
them of their role in society and kingdom service. As we think more
about discipleship, I would encourage you to think widely about life and
service beyond church and to focus on this idea of walking with the
Lord.
We must walk
in the light knowing that God sees our every action and indeed reads our
very thoughts! In Genesis 5:24, Enoch was commended for walking
faithfully with God – we know little more about him but that is some
commendation to be remembered by!
At a recent
memorial/thanksgiving service, someone held up a bumper sticker that
said: “Live your life so the vicar doesn’t have to lie at your funeral.”
Let’s try and
keep walking faithfully with God as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
He sees what we are up to even when no one else is looking.
Prayer is
also a key part of our discipleship, and we looked at this topic in the
third of the series. Many of us enjoyed some special time together over
our recent Sabbath of Prayer. I was a bit disappointed that many of the
regular congregation did not participate in the times together at the
church. These sessions were so special as we sought the Lord and found
blessing and encouragement in his presence. Please do consider joining
in for some of the next one in
October.
We now have a
couple of special prayer initiatives coming up this month and I warmly
commend these to you…
Thy
Kingdom Come - We are again
sharing with Christians across the world in these eleven days of prayer
from Ascension Day up to Pentecost – 9th -19th
May, praying for people we know to find faith in Christ. See page 14our
magazine, The Link, for details and do pick up the free booklets to help
you reflect and pray over the period.
Free The
Wight - An Island-wide prayer
initiative that I have been involved in setting up with the Wight Church
team, which is on the afternoon of Pentecost Sunday 19 May at 16:00
We plan to
have a number of small prayer groups along Shanklin seafront for the
hour. Look out for details - and do let Brian know if you’d be happy to
be a prayer leader.
Visit of
new Synod Moderator - Rev Dr
Michael Hopkins is coming over to meet with me on Tuesday 30 April and
will attend the Bible Bite meeting. Do come along at 13:30 to meet him
as we chat over coffee and cake…
He is also
coming across for Ryde’s 50th
anniversary celebrations (they
moved to the present site in 1974) on 6th October and we plan
to have a tea and cake gathering that afternoon at Shanklin so many of
you can meet him and find out more about URC life across the Wessex
Synod.
Every
blessing for this colourful Spring season,
