Dear Friends,

Today is Wednesday, and tomorrow will be Thursday – so there is nothing remarkable about that, it happens every week! Except that tomorrow will be a whole New Year and that makes today feel different.

It reminds me of getting a new exercise book at school when I was young. It was exciting and challenging at the same time. It had a crisp fresh feel and each page looked very clean and white. I always wrote neatly and carefully in a new book – and I always felt rather scornful of others in the class who scuffed the corners of the book very quickly and who managed to blot sometimes even the first page! I must have been a pompous little girl!

So here we are presented with a new page in our lives, a whole new year to do as we like with. For some, it will be a relief. The old year may have brought sadness, difficulty and regret. For others it will be frightening, it may present new challenges and changes and the old ways may look better.

I remember writing this time last year about the man who stood at the gate of the year and put his hand into God’s hand as he stepped out into the unknown, because trusting in God to lead the way is better than any known path. But what if God leads us down unexpected paths? What if God requires more that we are prepared to give? What if things do not turn out for the ‘best’ despite our trust? What if, despite our very best endeavours, we blot our new book on the first page or scuff the corners of our lives very quickly? Will God still want us?

I would guess that there are few of us without blots on our pages and without scuffed corners in our lives, but God can forgive all those things if we try to love and please him. – and he always wants us. Nor, I believe does he try to make things difficult for us by asking too much or making horrible things happen – that is not God’s way. We may not always understand why things happen as they do, and that is where our faith comes in. God would like us to keep loving and serving him even during the difficult times, because things do come right, in the fullness of time.

God bless you all, and lead you into a good and fulfilling New Year.

Yours in Christ

Jo Spray

The frail and elderly during the cold months.

A united witness to Christ among the different branches of his Church.

Thank you very much to all who worked to make the Church look so beautiful over the Christmas period – and to all who organised and helped with the services. It was a huge combined effort and it made our worship together a real joy. On a more personal note, Rob and I would like to thank you for all your kind greetings and cards; we much appreciated them all.

Jo Spray.

The flower rota for 2004 is now in the church porch and is badly in need of signatures! If you would like to be included, please sign up as soon as you can. We do need more helpers and would welcome new names on the rota. No previous experience is necessary!

We raised £477 for the Children's Society from the Christingle service collection, the Christingle Candles and Carol Singing. Many thanks to all who supported this.