Weekly letter from St Luke's - 16 September 2020

Dear Parish Friends

Last night the Parish Council voted to proceed with the proposed Anglican Early Learning Centre on our site at St. Luke’s. I realise that this is committing us to a long journey as we finalise the plans and then live with the disruption of the building works and other changes. I know too that for many we embark with a sense of trepidation as we strike out from what we know and love of the past and present. The Anglican way is to acknowledge, respect and learn from the past; keeping in mind the good things and reimagining them for the present time. The church of St Luke’s will remain the centre of our site as a place of prayer and where we meet to sing God’s praises and encourage one another in our Christian journeys. But we will welcome more people onto our campus and be able to share with them the joy and hope that we have in Christ.

During Evening Prayer today, two things struck me. In our reading we heard:

For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us …he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near (Ephesians 2:14,17).

St Paul is talking here about the divisions between Jews and gentiles, but this spoke to me of our calling to our community, to see ourselves as an integral part of this, and to bring God’s peace to ‘those who as far off’ currently as well as to ‘those who are near’ in St Luke’s.

Then the ‘prayer in the midst of a crisis’ printed in this month’s Pray Daily prayer calendar by the diocese, whilst addressed specifically to the current Coronavirus situation, equally well is a prayer we can pray together as we move forward as a parish into a new future, confident that God is going with us.

Holy God, who created us for and from love, in this time of social distancing, hold us close in your arms. Comfort those who are afraid, enliven those who are bored, give courage to those who are distressed, and warm those who feel the cold touch of loneliness. Breathe in, with and through us as we walk through uncertainty into a new future knowing that you are with us now and await us there. In the name of Christ the Beloved we pray. Amen.

By The Rev’d Canon Dr Ellen Clark-King, Vice Dean and Canon for Social Justice at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco (Pray Daily, September 2020)

Our Parish Council also discussed many other exciting things and a full report will be sent out next week.

With blessings for the week ahead.

Yours in Christ

Rev’d Timothy