Activities | Nurture

February 2020 magazine

stjohnstmarkchurchburySunday, January 26, 2020

Here’s the link to the February 2020 magazine:

There’s news and views plus articles on Lent. This year Lent starts on 26 February. There are also pieces on the very popular Lite lunch and the Pantomime.

Plus this letter from our Authorised Lay Minister Nigel Silvester…

If we only had time

The printing schedule for our magazine means that I am thinking about what to write almost a month before it will be read. I write this a few days into a new year, a new decade; 2020 has just begun. However, by the time the magazine comes out all the excitement, the hopes and expectations, the whole New Year thing will be a distant memory. The looking back and reflecting on what happened (or didn’t happen) in 2019; the looking forward into 2020; all that will have passed and we will just be getting on with the daily routine – won’t we? Such is the passage of time. And time seems to flash by at an ever increasing pace. It’s Monday morning, but suddenly it’s Friday afternoon – where did that week go?

The world, God’s creation, turns at its set pace. The seasons come and go. Climate change may be affecting things but basically the rhythm of the natural world proceeds as it always has done. However our lives are driven by calendars, clocks, appointment diaries, etc. Like the magazine printing schedule we are always looking ahead to when things must be done – when we have to be somewhere. And being retired doesn’t seem to allow these demands to diminish. Barbara and I already have hanging in our kitchen a calendar filling up with things to do, dates inked in, so many things not to forget! Is it any wonder time flashes by; that we run out of time to do what we planned; that we feel the pace of life rushing us head-long to somewhere we are not really sure we want to go!

Priorities

When I was at work (over 20 years ago!) I often felt that there was not enough time to deal with all the tasks asked of me. My boss would say that I needed to re-arrange my priorities and make time. I wasn’t brave enough to tell him that it is not in the human gift to make time – God does that – see first chapter of Genesis, verse 14.  At our December Sunday @ Seven we were reminded of the verse from Psalm 31 which says “You are my God – My time is in your hands”.

Each one of us has been given a set time by God, and none of us know how long or short that is. But we do have a measure of control on how we use that time and it could just be a good idea to consult with the Giver of Time when we are looking back or looking forward and making decisions on what to do.

Have a vision

As individuals and as Church we are called to the work of God’s Kingdom. We are not called to sit on our hands and tick over; we are called to use the time which has been put into our hands. Scriptures, Old and New, tell us to learn from the past time and to look forward to the time which is to come. To have a vision, a determination; holding on to the hope given to us in Jesus. To plant seeds; to grow the Kingdom.

And when we are planning our use of time let’s not forget to set aside time to be still; to read scripture; to ponder; to pray. We all need time in God’s consulting room.

May God’s blessing be upon each one of us through 2020 and through all the time He has allotted to us. Amen.

Thanks to Ahna Ziegler on Unsplash for the photo. You can also pick up a hardcopy of the February 2020 magazine at either of our churches. We’d love to see you! Follow this link if you missed the December/January magazine.