 Dear Friends, This is perhaps one of my favourite times of year, the days are lengthening, there is an array of colour in our gardens, the temperature is increasing and there is a feeling of optimism, the cold days of winter are behind us now and the long, lazy days of summer lie ahead of us, or so we hope. As a minister, I love the fact that as we turn the corner into May, all the heavyweight Church meetings are behind me, and whilst my diary isn’t exactly empty, I normally find these months less stressful. Sunday 5th May 2024 is the sixth Sunday of Easter and the next major landmark in the Christian calendar is the Ascension of Christ on Thursday 9th May. During the days following the resurrection Jesus has appeared to the disciples and he has told them that this is a temporary state and as he descended from the Father, so he must return, their lives have changed significantly over the days since the Easter experience and now they are to look to a future that will be different again. Maybe in light of all of this, the coming Sunday is also designated as “vocations Sunday” and it is a time when once again we reflect on our own journey of discipleship. For some of us, the word “vocation” is related to a calling, where we are paid to work for the Church and offer to live under the discipline of the Church, and our vocation means that we serve God, through our working lives. I look at colleagues in the Circuit and 2024 is a significant year as God calls to new challenges. But vocation goes way beyond our paid employment, the Church of Christ exists primarily because an army of volunteers give of their Time, Talents, and Treasure to witness to the risen power of Christ. Maybe it does us all good to stop, and reflect on our calling repeatedly throughout the course of the year. Derek |