It seems that whatever caused the technical difficulties with last week’s recording has been resolved, so there is a video to send out today as well as the text of prayers and a my sermon.

As many of you will know I am an Assistant Diocesan Director of Ordinands, which is a role in which I meet with those who are offering themselves for ordination to priesthood and help them prepare for the national discernment process which is the way in which as a church we discover who God’s is calling to this ministry or what other calling God might have for them. This week I am involved in training to be one of those who interviews on the national discernment panels. (Its some long days of training on Zoom, so if you need to contact me this week, it would be helpful if you could email rather than phone if its possible for you!)

The discernment process has recently changed from one in which candidates have to “meet criteria” to one in which they show that they “inhabit qualities” of character which a priest needs. I think this is a very important change: it highlights that our lives of faith are a journey in which we grow and develop as people, shaped by the Holy Spirit, who are listening for the calling of God at every stage of our lives and that vocation – whether to priesthood, or to whatever God is calling each of us to – is not about a certain set of achievements, but about how God is calling us to be the person he makes us to be.

In our church life together, we are called to create the environment in which we can all grow in the qualities of character which Jesus shows us: love for God, love for people, wisdom, fruitfulness, to name a few. In our church life together we are called to create the kind of environment we see in today’s gospel – where those closest to Jesus and those on the edges all share in the joy of the miraculous gift of water turned to wine.

This is a good opportunity to add that I am always to delighted to have conversations about listening for what God is calling people to in any stage of life – so do get in touch if there is something you are wondering about.

God bless

Samantha

Sunday 16th January

9am Holy Communion Lynmouth

9am Family Worship Parracombe (self-led)

11am Holy Communion Lynton