Hooray! Church is opening again! I write this blog in the midst of preparing Sunday’s talk on Luke 10… the passage includes Jesus words to the seventy two: “ I am sending you out like lambs among wolves”…. Well over the past week, here at ‘Candish Towers’ we have developed a whole new understanding of what it means to be vulnerable like a lamb among wolves… (not that there are many wolves in Combe Down or Foxhill you understand), … in a fit of nostalgia for our old life, we are fostering a pair of orphaned lambs from our old farm. We took them at about three days old, and the first few days were quite tricky. Lambs are vulnerable in so many ways, to so many things…I feel that Jesus must have felt that awareness of the risk he was exposing his beloved followers to as he sent them out. He doesn’t call us to an easy, risk-free discipleship. The 'Risk Assessment' for following Jesus is all high scores and red ink. He calls us to a no-holds-barred, costly mission. Part of the paradox of the gospel is that in becoming vulnerable we are at our safest, in embracing insecurity for the sake of following Jesus, we find ourselves secure. As the Book of Common Prayer puts it, His service is perfect freedom. We may be lambs, sent out among wolves, but we have a shepherd we can trust, who is right behind us.
As we head into post-lock-down, navigating our way through the changing rules, some of us will be excited and others vulnerable and exposed, still others just beginning the grieving process that can only happen when crisis abates. However we are feeling, we can know for certain that Jesus is committed to us as He ever was and He is leading us out of darkness and sending us out as He ever did. However we are feeling, we can choose again to follow Him out into this next season.
Cath
Here at St Andrews (StACC) we have quite a few events in the pipeline:
This Saturday (17) Cargo Net (a new network of mens’ support groups) is beginning, with a bacon butty breakfast at St Andrews. Please contact Simon Winchcombe or John Candish for more details.
This Sunday, (18) StACC will be open for morning worship at 10.30, hopefully with some outdoor sung worship. If you see this in time do give Susie Houston a call to book your place, for this or any subsequent Sunday.
Next week, toddler group will be restarting on Tuesday, with limited numbers in the church garden to begin with.
Tuesdays are currently busy as we will continue to give out bags of food for Foxhill Focus vulnerable adults.
Wednesday 21 April: StACC family zooms (home group) will recommence but hopefully soon in person. We will be following the sermon series of this term, walking with Jesus through the book of Luke.
Sat 8- Sunday 9 May: We are encouraging one another to fast and pray over this weekend for our new Minister (interviews take place next month)
Sunday 9 May: Youth Church will recommence meeting at StACC.
Weds 12 May: APCM
Sat 15 May TBC: StAction day: serving our community with the provision of skips around the estate and volunteers to help with clean ups and litter picks.
Sat 15 May: Cargo Net mens’ support groups
Thursday 20 May: We will be remembering the anniversary of Steve Rogers death
Saturday 22 May: 24 hour prayer and firepit outside StACC – booking will be available online
Sunday 23 May (Pentecost) Open air Sunday Worship
Sunday 27 June BBQ and Cath's farewell