Dear Friends,
As we journey in this “Bleak Mid-Winter” into February, there is a real sense of change in the air. Snowdrops are beginning to break through the hard ground – quiet but determined signs that winter does not have the final word. They remind us that new life often begins unseen, beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to emerge.
Recently, many of us rejoiced in the splendid and inspiring service at Worcester Cathedral celebrating the arrival of Bishop Hugh as the 114th Bishop of Worcester. It was a joyful occasion, rich in prayer and hope, reminding us that the Church is continually renewed as God calls new people to lead and serve. We pray for Bishop Hugh as he begins his ministry among us.
You can’t have missed being bombarded by holiday adverts since Christmas, especially on television. Maybe, like me, you’re getting quite good at hitting the mute button when those adverts interrupt our viewing! This seems to be the time of year when many people begin planning and booking holidays or day trips, and to ram that home, I have even received my lovely parishes’ administrator’s list of holiday dates for the year too. So, that got me thinking – perhaps I need to do mine. If anyone has any recommendations for a weekend or city break to Florence, do let me know! Perhaps it’s the depths of the darkest winter combined with the lure of summer sunshine, or simply the need to have something special to look forward to that spurs us on to make such decisions. With half term approaching too, that is something I am holding on and looking forward to. So, have you booked your holidays for 2025 yet, or are you more of a last-minute, spur-of-the-moment person? The familiar phrase “a change is as good as a rest” reminds us that stepping away from routine can refresh and re-invigorate us, offering a much-needed pause. Even if you can’t, for whatever reason, get away, maybe changing your routine or creating space in your life will be rest enough. Hopefully this message stirs up memories of holidays past – places visited, laughter shared, and precious time spent with loved ones.
As Lent begins on Ash Wednesday on the 18th of February, we are invited to think more deeply about rest, rhythm, and renewal. Rest is not an optional extra; it is a gift given by God and woven into the very fabric of creation. Bare frosted fields, leafless trees, hibernating animals, and migrating birds all bear witness to seasons of rest and renewal. Many of us know what happens when we try to keep going without pause – eventually our bodies, minds, and spirits tell us to stop. Sometimes very suddenly.
Lent offers us a holy pause. How are those New Year’s resolutions holding up? Perhaps they are flourishing; perhaps they have quietly faded. Lent is not about guilt, but about grace – an invitation to lay down what weighs us down and to take up practices that draw us closer to God and one another.
May this coming Spring and embedded Lent be a season of gentle renewal, helping us to rest in God’s love and to grow in faith as we journey together towards Easter. Rev Gary