Greetings … Again we have a week of changes, with new restrictions being announced almost daily. While this is vital to keep us as healthy as possible, it is not something that we respond to easily. As we work at keeping our physical distance from others we are painfully aware that the lack of contact means that we can also be socially distanced. Not being able to give a hug to those you are close to or meet your friends for a coffee is difficult and it makes many of us sad. As we go through these difficult times together, we need to remember to be gentle on ourselves and one another. May we take comfort in knowing that God remains with us always and we not in this alone.

6th Wednesday of Lent – 1 April –
Psalm 23:6 “Surely your goodness and love follow me”
There is such comfort in the love of Jesus. Not only is he mightier than anything in the world, he is the one who loves us with unparalleled goodness and kindness. Not only is God good, but he is generous and pours out that goodness for all to see, shared with us in Jesus. We like to rely on our own abilities and sense of sufficiency, but when times are tough we often realise that alone we are not enough. But we do not need to be anxious for we have the hope and deep confidence that springs from the source of all love, all peace and all hope, in the loving goodness of God.

Palm Sunday – 5 April –
Matthew 21:9 “Hosanna to the Son of David”
When the people shouted ‘Hosanna’ it was not just an empty word or a hollow call – it was a call that shook the whole city. Often it is the arrival of tragedy that stirs a whole city to attention and we can see that now. Try now to imagine what it will be like when the news that we have been waiting for, the best news, spills through the street and awakens the city. It was joy that filled Jerusalem the day Jesus arrived on the back of a donkey. He didn’t look like a king, and his arrival didn’t look like a victory, but here was the promised one who was coming to save. We know that the city changed, and the voices of those who cried ‘Hosanna’ changed too. Yet through it all Jesus remained the same. In his approach to Jerusalem, Jesus remained fixed and unchanged in his love and compassion for each one of us. Blessings – Rev Heather.