A very happy New year to you all, and we trust that Christmas and New year festivities have gone well at your homes. We had a nice time here. On St Stephen’s day, there was a kind of ‘open mic’ organised by Br. Jude around the fireside. George CR played keyboard for us, John and Seb, our alongsider, read The Lady of Shallot excerpts and I gave a very unprepped rendition of Dibdin’s Tom Bowling.
The start of 2023 has been both quiet and yet a little fraught. As I write, we are 4 men down with bouts of Covid! Thankfully, no-one else has been zapped, so prayers that this remains the case as we approach the coming season of Epiphany, where the promise of God’s Christ is realised in the visit of the wise men. Incidentally, it is a proven fact that the magi come from my neck of the woods: “Three wise men came from the east riding on camels.” Still, I expect I am preaching to the choir with that one!
I wonder what your plans for the year ahead. Do they include a visit to the community? How shall you refresh the call of God in your baptism during the next 12 months, I wonder? Do know that if we can support that discernment in any way, our guest team would be very pleased to hear from you. Don’t be a stranger from the voice of God, for his baptism in the Jordan reminds us that God is no stranger in our lives.
With every blessing for the Epiphany season ahead, and our warmest wishes.
Marc CR