Area Letter from one of the Area Staff Team – October 2022

Dear friends

As you read this letter you will be celebrating, or are about to celebrate harvest, a time of thanksgiving to God for his abundant generosity in supplying us with food for sustenance and thought and also in the midst of preparing for All souls and remembrance services. As I write this letter the world is still recovering from the shock of the death of our Queen Elizabeth. As I listened to the many words that are being spoken about her the simple words that our new King, Charles 111, said at the end of his first proclamation strongly stood out from the rest. He said, simply, “Thank you.” With those two simple words he expressed everything that the people of this country and the world were trying to say about the Queen. All too often we put together lengthy treatises listing all and everything we can think of and all it needs at the end of the day is a simple thank you.

As we celebrate our harvest this year we perhaps need to look at the simple thank you as a way of bringing before God our thanks for all that he has provided us with over the last year. The many blessings we do not always recognise or accept as gifts from God.

We are very aware of the rapid rises in our cost of living, our basic needs are now getting to be a luxury but still in the midst of all this turmoil God is still sending blessings. How these blessings play out or how we will recognise them I am not sure as yet but I am sure in time it will all become clear for as Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians “ now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face (1 Corr 13: 12.). I feel that in this mixed up time of grief, remembrance and thanksgiving we may find the path that God is calling us to tread to serve not just him but his people as well.

I will finish with Psalm 126 and a prayer.

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,

Then were we like those who dream.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter

And our tongue with songs of joy.

Then said they among the nations,

‘the Lord has indeed done great things for them.’

The Lord has indeed done great things for us,

And therefore we rejoiced.

Restore again our fortunes, O Lord,

As the river beds of the desert.

Those who sow in tears

Shall reap with songs of joy.

Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed,

Will come back with shouts of joy,

Bearing their sheaves with them.

Lord as you send rain and flowers even to the wilderness,

Renew us by your Holy Spirit,

Help us to sow good seed in time of adversity

And live to rejoice in your good harvest of all creation;

Through Jesus Christ our Lord

Amen.

All God’s blessings

Chris

Rev’d Chris Brown Uttoxeter Area of Parishes