March Newsletter

March letter.

Dear everyone,
With a bit more order and structure slowly coming back into my life, I said to myself recently while out shopping ‘David, you’re doing better than you think you are!’
When I arrived home, there was a police summons to say that I had been caught speeding in a notoriously common speed -trap area. I could either attend a special course or lose three points on my driving licence and pay a fine.
I’ve opted to go on the course!
It’s the first time that I have been caught speeding in over 50 years of driving . I was rather upset, but as I shared the news of what had happened with other people I soon discovered many others who had been caught in similar situations, even in the same place!
A fellow chaplain said to me ‘congratulations David on joining the club, the biggest club in the country!’
When you share a concern about yourself with other people, how quickly you discover others who have had similar problems, but it is equally important that we listen to what other people have to say, especially lonely people, about the anxieties and frustrations that they face. How much they can benefit from sharing with us things that worry them. There is an old saying which says ‘a trouble shared is a trouble halved,’ and it’s true.
‘Lent’ is a time for ‘listening to what God has to say to us’, but sometimes we can discover much of what God wants us to do simply by listening to the needs of the needy and so share with them their burdens and concerns.
May ‘Lent’ make us all good ‘listening posts’ and positive in our actions for the Kingdom of God, as we listen to the concerns of those around us.
With all good wishes, and every blessing as we share in this time of self-examination together,
Sincerely, David.

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February letter

Dear everyone,
Catering for one, especially if you are not used to it, is not easy!
In the preparation of meals, however you are always free try out new ideas, and if it doesn’t work, there is only one person disappointed! Supermarket shopping for food for everyone, however, has its hazards. ‘Two for the price of one’ or two items at a reduced cost means there is a danger of hoarding food, or eating more than we really need.
When the children of Israel were in the wilderness, we are told, special provision was made for them with ‘bread from heaven’, called ‘manna’, but they are only to gather up enough just for each day – the only exception being that they are to collect an extra supply on the sixth day for The Sabbath.
Those who gathered more than they needed found that the next day it was ‘full of worms and smelt rotten, and Moses their leader was angry with him!
Isn’t there a danger that we too, like the Israelites, can stockpile food when we shouldn’t?
I would suggest that we need to bear this in mind during Lent, and ask the question: do we spend money on food that we do not need, and forget that there are many in the world who do not have sufficient to eat even for one day!
If we bear this in mind, we may well find this enables us to make an appropriate response to the needy- both through ‘food banks’ locally, and supporting world-wide charities as they look at the wider needs of the human race.
Lent is a time for us to reflect on our own inner spiritual needs, but when it comes to the crunch, we soon discover that the ‘inner life’ of faith cannot have real meaning without a wider concern for others. For we are ‘members one of another.’
May this thought be strong in our prayers at this time -especially we pray for Peace among all peoples.
Every blessing,
David

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