No Limits!

Two key events have shaped my thoughts as I have been pondering this message over the past week or so.

Firstly, on Sunday morning Joyce Reyment handed me a letter – Gareth Darlow's acceptance of Coatesville's call to ministry among us. Having expected the formal confirmation for more than a week after Gareth made brief contact to say the letter would be on its way shortly, I thought opening the envelope would be an anticlimax.

It wasn't.

As I opened the envelope I found myself reviewing the whole journey to this point – the discussions with other candidates who were not a good match for Coatesville, before and during the conversations with Gareth where we strove to find just the right questions to understand who he is and how he would approach ministry amongst us, and then afterwards making sure we were clear on our understandings of the conversation we had just experienced. But, by the time I actually had the letter unfolded in my hand, the past eighteen months had finished flashing before my eyes and all I could hardly wait for Joys and Concerns to announce to those at Worship that Gareth would be joining us in August.

Before I move on to the other event, this is an appropriate moment to publicly thank the members of the JNC who have unflaggingly carried out their mission for the past 18 months. John Barcham, Don Reyment, Janet Paterson, Joss Terrell, Mandy Bowes and our two Presbytery reps Dev Andanarajan and Geoff Serpell: you have done us proud. Thanks.

The second event was the discussion at my small group on Tuesday night this week of 1 John 3:16-20, which mirrors the more famous John 3:16 – beginning with, 'This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.' What a passage to be studying between the Resurrection and Pentecost!

The challenge: We are to continue with the transforming work that Jesus made possible at Easter.

So what gets in the way?

For me – endless things. A short list of those things that I allow to get between what I actually do and become, and what God has dreamed for me, would have to include fear, self-doubt and procrastination. We're lucky Jesus didn't accept the devil's arguments at the end of forty days of fasting in the desert or choose to walk away from the journey to the cross that night on the Mount of Olives!

So, a challenge for us all – at Pentecost, which of the Gifts of God will we be prepared to accept to more fully play our part in making His kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven?

Richard Palmer for the Leaders