1st January 2025

Dear Friends,

I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year,

“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”

And he replied, “Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way.”

May that almighty hand, guide and uphold us all.  Amen.

 In curacy I was taught a helpful exercise for the new year.  To take last year’s diary and look back on all the occasions and meetings.  Recall the joys, worries, the things we’ll remember happily, and the things that we’d rather forget!  Commit these to God with awareness that he was walking with us through all that last year brought and give thanks.  Pray again for particular people, things or situations that come to mind.  

Now take up this year’s diary.  

There may be not that much in there yet!  

Take a moment to pray about the things that are likely to happen this year.  Remember that God will be going ahead of us, and let’s pray that he would strengthen us for all that we will face this year.  Maybe think of and pray for the world, our two churches and ourselves and our own families – imagining them sitting in the hands of God.

In the new year I want to return to our vision that I introduced when I arrived:  

In Friendship, In Fellowship, In Christ…..

I feel this is a key way in which we can be harvesters in God’s field.  To reach out to our friends and neighbours and to talk more about how we have journeyed with God and how that’s helped us in the past.   We can take inspiration from Jonathan helping his friend David to find strength in God.  Our mission is the same (albeit the context is rather different!)  To help our friends find strength in God’s love.  

God is calling us to be salt and light in the world and witnesses to our neighbours in Hutton and Locking.  As churches we need to equip one another to live this out.  We’re called to let God’s light shine through our lives in welcome, friendship and words.  

Throughout the year I and others are going to help us all to think about how we can talk about faith naturally to those we mix with every day.   

May God bless you this year.  

Love, 

Larissa