09/09/2022
Good morning church family,
The death of the queen is a truly sad day for our Nation. Not only has she served us with such dedication and commitment, but she has also stood as a constant stabilising presence in all of our lives. More than that she has unashamedly held fast to Christ and made the most of every opportunity to testify to the hope she has in him. The following is an extract from her Christmas speech in 2008:
Although we are capable of great acts of kindness, history teaches us that we sometimes need saving from ourselves - from our recklessness or our greed.
God sent into the world a unique person - neither a philosopher nor a general, important though they are, but a Saviour, with the power to forgive.
Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It can heal broken families, it can restore friendships and it can reconcile divided communities. It is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God's love.
In the last verse of this beautiful carol, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, there's a prayer:
O Holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us we pray.
Cast out our sin
And enter in.
Be born in us today.
It is my prayer that on this Christmas day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord.
I wish you all a very happy Christmas.
As well as being sad her death creates instability in the nation. Let's be praying that the Lord would uphold the leaders and people of the UK through this time of significant change and use it to advance his purposes amongst us. Let's be praying specifically for our new King and the rest of the royal family, that the Lord would comfort them and give them great wisdom in all they say and do. Let's be praying that through the next few weeks the Queen's faith in Christ would be clear to all and that through the process of mourning and the funeral, many would be saved.
We will all respond differently to the news and our prayer is that we would support one another at this difficult time and entrust ourselves to the God who never changes and to the certain Hope of the resurrection from the grave.
The church building will be open from 10 this morning until 4 this afternoon for anyone in the church family or the local community who wants to make use of the space to reflect and to pray. We encourage us all to be praying for each other, for our neighbours and for our nation over the next few days and weeks.
Love in Christ,
The Staff and Standing Committee
