Dear Congregation,
I’ve just done the unthinkable – no, calm down, I am not talking about sin – I just added ‘covid’ to my computer dictionary. The spell checker keeps flagging it, and I have been matching that with the ignore option. In adding it in to the dictionary it seems like a tangible acknowledgement that this is not only an increasingly frequent word in our day to day communication, but it is here to stay for a significant time. It has joined the rank of other words that describe conditions we speak of in the hope that it is never used to describe us, though it may in God’s providence.
We might be tempted to use the reputed last words of Ned Kelly and say ‘Such is life.’ But no such despair born of inevitability ought to hang from our lips, bounce around in our thoughts or linger in our hearts like a life-sapping pestilence. It may be a word used to describe an historical period of our personal or community life, but it does not define our life nor will it limit our life nor endure beyond our present physical life.
Even in times of severest trials and limitations our life is precious and has the marks of God’s glory, is marked by the presence of the Lord and tokens of His love assured to us by the precious promises of His Word. Let us not lose sight of the wonder of God’s providence even in its mystery, and at times inexplicable to us mystery. Let us not lose sight of encouraging one another in God’s grace as well as ministering to the world in the well-ground joy and hope we have in life through Jesus Christ.
Tomorrow we turn to Ephesians 4:1-6 (see the service notes attached) and Paul reminds once again of his present circumstances as a prisoner and demonstrates that it is not this but who God is and what God in grace is doing that sends a wave of encouragement to him as he looks at life and the church. Rather than despair there is humility, gentleness, patience and forbearance – all of which are positive character traits focused on the benefit of others declaring life is not about me but how I can honour God among you and others. There is also, as a result, a celebration of the unity we have in Christ – but more an energetic commitment to it. It is not the difficulties of his life that shape Paul’s character and embracing of life, it is the doctrines of God’s grace.
In the providence of God these verse come to us at the start of stage 4 – may they remain as a guiding framework so that we will put a totally different spin on “Such is life” – not of despair and hopelessness of inevitability, but of wonder and opportunity enabled by the grace of God who is on His throne and dwells in our midst.
Together in Christ’s love and service,
John
Your Pastor and fellow ‘prisoner of the Lord’