Cafe Style. That means we sit around tables, which are arranged ready for the New Year Ball tonight. There are eighty places set out, I am told. They quickly fill up, and people are getting chairs from other places and joining in. A basket of Roses (chocolates) are handed round. The service is lead by our Youth Worker. No Hymns. That makes a change. I'm not a great singer, and I didn't really miss them. Our former curate arrives for a visit. It was great to see Martin and his family. They seem to be in good health, and enjoying life. I did not recognize the children, of course - they've grown lots.
Another former member of Christ Church is back for the new year celebrations, and she brings us a message from Luke 2:21-33. I foolishly didn't take my pen into Church, so I have no notes from the sermon, as I should have. Towards the end of the service challenges are handed out, some are easy, some are more difficult. Mine come on a piece of paper that is miss cut and difficult to read. It says memorize Jeremiah 29:11. This whole idea of challenges delivered like drawing lots, takes me back to my first assessed sermon. Of course we don't have to rely on this method to understand what God wants us to do, but it is sometimes through these small events that we see more of God.
I'm trying to write up my Placement at the moment - and struggling to know what to write. I have lots of notes, but somehow they just don't seem to fit with topics I have to write about. So Jeremiah 29:11 is a great encouragement.
Happy New Year, Pete,
ReplyDeleteJer 29:11 is one of my favorite verses. I mentioned it in my blog yesterday and used it to structure my book Strangers On The Earth.