Greetings,
As part of the Synod meeting we participated in Bible Studies each day. These were led by Dr Liz Boase who asked us to consider the following two questions as a church community: – Who are we?, and, Where are we going?
Some possible directions were considered … Backwards, Inwards, Upwards
and Outwards.
Backwards: we were reminded that while it is important that we remember the past we need to be open to be removed from it so that we can have energy for the future. After all, God doesn’t just want a past for God’s people, but also a future.
Inwards: we thought about how when we look inward we keep our identity but that this sometimes stops us from seeing God in a new way. We don’t want to be so inward looking that we miss the new things that God is doing.
Upwards: reflecting on how we might be imitators of Christ, we noted that the church is now often on the periphery, but noticed that this is where Christ often was. As citizens of heaven we are really outposts of heaven, being agents of transforming love where we find ourselves.
Outwards: the encouragement to be focused outwards is about living as an outpost of heaven. We need to be present in the community beyond the doors of the church, discern where God is already at work in the world and go and join in.

To be a part of this ‘new thing’ that God is doing, and grab onto this opportunity we might also need to relinquish some of what we are holding on to.

This has been made particularly clear to me this week as I’ve been helping my parents clean out their home. It can be hard to get rid of things that once meant a lot to us, but if we don’t they can become burdensome.
My prayer for us is that both individually and as a church, we might be able to relinquish that which holds us back from grasping what God has in store for us.
Blessings – Rev Heather.