Dear friends,

It has been a while since I have seen you all! I have enjoyed some time away, including a trip to Paris which was full of good food, wonderful sights and, of course, some beautiful churches. On Friday we went to a very moving mass at the Sacre Coeur, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. One of the many things that struck me was that so many people were present in the building but each engaged with the space in a different way. Some, like us, were as engaged and involved as we could be, following along with the familiar structure of the service and participating in the liturgy where we could.

However, we had a language barrier. Neither Abbey nor I speak French so we relied on what we saw and knew of the Bible and the liturgy. Others would have had the reverse problem – they may have spoken French but been unfamiliar with the texts being read or the symbols that were used. I expect for both types of people, and the many other types present, there was something of God’s love and magnificence that was communicated or felt in some way despite the barriers. Experiencing the mystery of God is important as so much of what faith is about is difficult to put into words.

I am often aware that it can be the same for us at St Martin’s. Each of us will understand and relate to different aspects of what we do in church but each of us will also have our questions. Many of you will have found places to ask those questions whether that is at Friday morning prayer over a crumpet, whispered to a friend during the service or over coffee after the service. However, I am aware that for many of you, there might be things you wonder about each week, whether it is something we say, something we do or something particular about God and faith, that you find it difficult to know where and when to ask. Over the next weeks and months we will have lots of opportunities to ask questions as we begin our confirmation preparation sessions and, later in May, begin looking at the Being With material from St Martin’s in London. Faith and life are journeys that are full of mystery and unknowns but some questions do have answers and some questions are as important to ask as the answers themselves! So, however you feel whether you feel like an onlooker that is baffled or a regular that is confused. Whether you know a lot about the Bible or a little, let’s ask our questions together and walk into the mystery as a community.

This weekend we have our first confirmation session, thinking about promises we make, from 9:30 on Saturday morning in church. We also have our usual 8:30 and 10:30 services of Holy Communion with the later service including hymns and Sunday Spirit. You are welcome and invited! It will be good to catch up with you all.

Grace & Peace,

Phil