‘You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept.’ Words of Jesus Christ – Matthew 5:14 (The Message)
In 2016 when we discerned our LIFE vision together, one of the things which emerged was a commitment to ‘nurture confident disciples to live out their faith seven days a week’, so Bishop Robert and I were delighted last Saturday to join (over Zoom) with so many people of different ages for our Diocesan Festival of Everyday Faith.
A few weeks ago in the Bulletin I referred once again to that image of ‘trailing the wet footprints of our baptism’ among the people and places of our daily lives, and I wrote that: ‘This time of Covid19 is challenging us to continue to think what it means for us to be the Church Sunday through to Saturday as we live in a time when the words trauma, loss, uncertainty and crisis are writ large. It is my prayer that as we continue to grapple with questions, fears and hopes, amid both joy and struggle, we might enable one another to ask what trailing our wet footprints and pointing to the kingdom of God might increasingly look like both in our individual lives and in our local communities as we live with authenticity holding fast to the hope of Christ.’
This was what Saturday was all about as we talked and reflected not on how we are doing gathered worship at the moment, but rather how we are reflecting the light of Christ every day of every week, whether in a place of tears or laughter.
If you weren’t able to join in on Saturday (and even if you were), do look at the market place of resources and click on the map and the stories people across the diocese shared with Bishop Robert. You will be inspired. There are details of resources, upcoming events and recordings of sessions from Saturday – We are sure that there is something that is you-shaped.
But the important thing is that Saturday wasn’t a one-off event but rather part of an important culture change for every one of us who are baptised followers of Christ. This is about how we are sent out from our gathered worship week after week as we ‘Go in peace to love and serve the Lord’ and ‘in the name of Christ’. To that end there was plenty of challenge on Saturday for worshipping communities and leaders as to how we ensure that what we do when we gather for worship supports and strengthens people to know and serve Christ in all the places and activity of the week, not only in the home but in school and work places and everything in between.
As we live these strange days may we each grow in courage as adventurous followers of Jesus Christ, living and speaking differently as we seek to join in with God’s transformational work as we pray for God’s kingdom to come on earth as in heaven.
Bishop Robert and I continue to hold you in our prayers with thanksgiving,
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