Greetings

And so we come to the end of another week of ‘lockdown’. We continue to pray for all those who are most profoundly affected by COVID-19, and the impacts of such a ‘shutting down’ of normal life. We continue to greet one another with Easter hope of resurrection – and this morning we hear from one of our readers, Sue Thornhill, who has found new insight through living in isolation. As we thank her for sharing these thoughts, we re-issue an invitation to send in your greetings. If you haven’t yet sent yours in – here’s the link!

 

Thank you for your continuing lovely reflections –
a focus to start the day.
Glenys and Roger Arden
Deganwy

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings from Rhos-on-Sea
Miss you all!
Carol Burstow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good morning everyone from the. Aberconwy Mission Area Office in Penrhyn Bay
with all best wishes
from Mandy Groom

 

 

 

 

 

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Getting a handle on life

Sue Thornhill writes:

I have found there’s been some advantage to having to be still, at this dreadful time of it being imposed. I’m unable, at the moment, to do some of the more physical jobs around the house and garden, but recently my attention was drawn to the many handles on the kitchen units which, on close inspection, were in need of a “scrub up!”.
 
A task not requiring much thought and yet, as I considered my handles, made up of many strands of material, intricately woven together, a ‘shank’ at one end attaching it to the door, a bright shiny button at the other end facing the room, I felt the Lord spoke to me. I put my glasses on to see that the strands had become somewhat “clogged up!”. The kitchen grease of everyday life had attracted all sorts of detritus that would have been better removed sooner …
 
I reflected on how much of our lives are just like my handles: many strands attached to a ‘central shank’ – God, central to our faith, then the winding together of our lives, as we pick up over time all sorts of detritus that distracts from the brightness of the button we should be showing to the world, the Lord Jesus.

Who or what is the ‘central shank’ that is anchoring us at this time of disorientation? What kind of ‘handle’ are we – and is this a God-given time to clean away all that has prevented us from really being His lights in the world? These daily reflections have been a way to encourage us to share in meditating on the Bible, while we are being given time to clear away all that has prevented us from doing that before, and learning to place it centrally in our lives. This is the kind of handle that opens a door to Him, and in turn, the door we open for others. 

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“Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking;
if you hear my voice and open the door,
I will come in to you and eat with you,
and you with me.”

Revelation 3: 20

“Edrych! Dw i yma! Dw i’n sefyll wrth y drws ac yn curo.
Os bydd rhywun yn fy nghlywed i’n galw
ac yn dod i agor y drws,
dof i mewn i rannu pryd o fwyd gyda nhw.”

Datguddiad 3: 20

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And so finally we use the ‘Collect for Purity’, so familiar and treasured by many who come to His table, for Communion, week by week. Today, we make it our own, as a response to his invitation:-

Prayer
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden;
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy Name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Gweddi
Hollalluog Dduw, i ti y mae pob calon yn agored,
pob dymuniad yn hysbys,
a phob dirgel yn amlwg;
glanha feddyliau ein calonnau
trwy ysbrydoliaeth dy Lân Ysbryd,
fel y carom di yn berffaith,
a mawrhau’n deilwng dy Enw sanctaidd;
trwy Grist ein Harglwydd. Amen.

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