Vicar's Letter
Revd. Keith Thornborough
Dear Friends,
Last Sunday ,31st March, we celebrated, in Church, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, with shouts of Alleluia! He is risen indeed! The church was transformed from the stark period of Lent, and especially the stripped Sanctuary for Good Friday, to a glorious display of colour and flowers. The Church smelt wonderful! The cross was transformed, from its purple drape, into a cross of flowers and greenery, a sign of resurrection and of new life. We are now in the fifty days of Eastertide. Alleluia!
It’s been wonderful to see the daffodils bobbing in the breeze, the hedgerows and the trees come alive with green shoots appearing all over. The clocks have gone forward. Spring is in the air and transformation is all around us. Jesus transformed our future by what he did for us on that cross, ensuring our wrongs are forgiven and a promise of eternal life…. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” +John 3:16
It’s a promise we can trust. God loves us so much… Love’s redeeming work is done, Christ has burst the gates of hell, Christ has opened paradise. Jesus promises to come to take us to be with him forever when we ourselves die. He promises!
On the 23rd of the month we celebrate St George’s Day. George of Lydda was a Christian and not much else is known about him really, but it is thought he was a Roman soldier and was killed around 303 AD because he would not renounce his faith in Christ. George showed incredible inner strength, courage, and faith, although he was severely tortured.
In the Middle Ages, the dragon was commonly used to represent the Devil. The legend of George slaying the Dragon is a story based on his faith and courage and not giving in to the evil one by refusing to renounce his belief and trust in Jesus. Our Lord was tempted by the Devil too, putting God to the test, but Jesus was having none of it.
We face many temptations in our daily lives, our encounters with others, at work, at leisure, at home! It’s always harder to resist, not to give in and to ensure we do the right thing.
You see, Jesus went to the cross in love for us all. If we can only pause and think when we are tempted, when we are provoked, when we are wronged, when we are upset… “What would Jesus do?” …. “Is my response a loving, kind, caring and generous response?” We talked last month about being generous disciples in all aspects of our lives. Jesus has transformed our lives and our future. By living, loving, and serving generously, we can transform our present too!
God Bless
Keith.
