From my study as I write this article I can
still see some snow left from the recent
downfall, however, that is not the only white
in the garden for in a corner of the lawn
stands a patch of snowdrops. The bees, too,
were flying out early, trying to get a good
start to this year's honey production. Upstairs
I hear the sound of a vacuum cleaner as my
wife tackles spring-cleaning a bedroom.
Lent, the church's period running up to Easter
derives its name from the old English word
for Spring. New growth often entails clearing
out the old; removing some familiar and loved clutter we have accumulated.
Minds, as well as houses and churches need this periodic picking over of the
things we take for granted and discarding those we really no longer need or
which prove a blockage to new growth.
"Do I need to take this with me?" or "Will my successor or the Church ever use
this material?" It is not easy but I can see and feel the relief of dropping files
and other items into the bin. Today we have experts in life style consultancy
and from the little I have seen of their work, there is a fair amount of this
reappraisal of what is important and what to abandon in life.
saying of Jesus along the lines of not only being prepared to fix on that which
is most important but doing it. The harshest one I can think of is in Luke
chapter 9 where we read that Jesus said to a man, "Follow me." But the man
replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the
dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Still
another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by
to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plough and
looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Preparing for Easter is
about a readiness for death and resurrection in our personal and corporate
lives. Letting go the old so that we may rise to the new.
us slides of wonderful flower
arrangements all around the house
and chapel for a flower festival which
raised £2,000 for a breast cancer
charity.
of the set pieces of the fire in Jane
Eyre film. Thank you Derrick, for
bringing Haddon Hall to life for us
again.
Modern Russia - a visit to St.
Petersburg 1995. Sounds good.
Cumming and Pam Smith for providing
refreshments to round off a lovely
evening.
Pam Smith