May 2024

Dear All,

After Easter this year we went to Malta for the first time. We were impressed by the beauty and the history of the island. It was great to be reminded of St Paul’s influence there, and to see the bay named after him and the church of St Paul’s Shipwreck in Valletta.

Malta was just one of the islands and territories that Paul visited in his journeys spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ powerfully throughout the Mediterranean. These journeys, and the letters he wrote to the Christian communities he formed, are the mainspring behind the growth of Christianity and its eventual spread worldwide.

Each of us, I like to think, is on a journey of some description and sometimes that journey is tough and sometimes it is unimaginably wonderful. I believe that God is with us on every part of this journey – whether in the good times or the bad times, though in the good times we may not feel it necessary (‘Do I need God?’) or in the bad times we may not think it credible (Where is God, then?)

I would like to encourage each of us to trust that God is always with us – powerfully through his Holy Spirit, whose coming we celebrate on Sunday 19 May in the feast of Pentecost. At that service we will again remind ourselves of the Holy Spirit’s purpose when we say Come Holy Spirit and kindle in us the fire of your love.

As ever, you will be most welcome to join us at our services or at any of the activities taking place in the church.

With every blessing,

Stephen