Dear friendsI hope this week finds you well, and you are coping with the weather. It seems as though the promise of lighter days, and warmer weather, is a way away still, and the gardens are looking sad and soggy!So much is going on beneath the surface though, as the earth is nourishing bulbs and undergrowth, as the mulch is providing shelter and food for bugs and small creatures, the absence of something visible does not mean the absence of creation at work, and we may get the occasional sign of what is to come. The odd bud on a plant, small shoots on the branch of a tree, a patch of blue sky ... winter does not last, the darkness is not forever.So it is with this season of Epiphany - stories of the revelation of who Jesus was going to be, the light shining in the darkness, the promise of salvation.After Christmas, that really visible sign of God being born in Jesus, we may pack away all of our signs that it happened: the trimmings, the last bits of chocolate, the tidying away of new things, or the trip to the charity shop for all that has been cleared out ... And here we are in a season that can feel like an "in between time". I'm certainly finding it strange as I try to plan all of the Easter services before I finish at the end of January for my extended study leave!But Epiphany-tide is a season in its own right. Creation is at work, the light is shining in the darkness, hope has been born and yet hope is still to come.In our services over the next 2 Sundays we will be hearing those prophecies again, hearing those letters to the church again which reminded them of what church, under Jesus, was all about, and hearing those Gospel passages again that point to Jesus as the messiah - the one who called disciples, the one who turned water into wine.So I invite you to lean into this season, rather than wish it away. See the new thing that God is doing, our creator who is always creating.This Sunday at 8.30am we have our traditional said communion service, and then at 10.30am we have our "All Together" Communion, where we gather as one family of all ages. Susanna will be preaching at both services.With best wishes as alwaysBecky