AREA LETTER FROM ONE OF THE AREA STAFF TEAM – APRIL 2023

In March St Peter’s church is holding their Forest church with the theme of Hope.

It’s a word that we so often use when we are looking forward, hoping for something which is always something positive.

At this time of the year Spring is trying to arrive as we see the carpets of snowdrops, the crocuses are out and now it’s time for the daffodils and then tulips. Soon there will be bright green buds on the trees and the birds increase their morning chorus. After the long dark nights and the cold we can look forward with hope for the warmer weather, the sun shining and the our mood improves, we feel so much brighter, perhaps ready to do something new.

I remember John Cleese in Clockwise saying ‘ it’s not the despair, I can take the despair, it’s the hope I can’t stand.” Don’t we all live with hope, hope for warm sunny days, hope that our children and grand children will grow up to be happy and contented? But then there is the hope that maybe will never happen when we set our sights too high. When we are tempted by all manner of things that we really don’t need.

Jesus was tempted but he knew that he was God’s beloved son in whom God was well pleased. Do we realise that as part of Gods family he is pleased with us?!

As Easter comes around, we are reminded of the suffering and death of Jesus and then his resurrection on Easter Sunday. At St Peter’s we remove the seven symbols of Lent and replace them with posies of flowers to symbolise the hope we have as followers of Christ.

Hope is a blessing, we can always look forward with hope for the future and endeavour to be part of the future by taking part, not sitting back and hoping things will just happen, we have to work towards our hopes, work to make our hopes happen. Easter signals new life in Christ, hope for the future. Let’s be those Easter people.

Peace and prayers

Maggie

Maggie Hatchard, Reader for the Uttoxeter Area of Parishes.