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Dear Friends, After Easter what next? Actually there's plenty next, other festivals like Ascension Day and Pentecost to mark; Christian Aid Week; children’s activities which can be more adventurous in the hopefully, warmer weather. The list goes on but the period after Easter also gives us time to reflect. On what shall we reflect? Not more navel gazing, that, though necessary at times, can become self-indulgent. The questions I’d like us all to reflect on are those fundamental to our life as a church, as a specific church - St Mary’s in Dunblane. Why do we exist? No I don’t mean us to wander off into metaphysics and get involved with Descartes or Sartre, but why do we exist as this particular church in this particular town? What is our purpose? What is our vision? In theological terms - what are we becoming? I say in theological terms because the Bible is full of allusions to ‘becoming’ . God wants us just as we are but he will make us, if we allow him, into a New Creation. We are always in the process of becoming. We often try to view the world as static and hold on to what we know and are sure about. But although there is truth in the notion of God as unchanging, the same yesterday, today and forever, and although we need to hold on to all that is good in our tradition and values, nevertheless, as with so many biblical truths, there is a paradox. Life is not static. We cannot be static. We must both hold on and let go and hold these two opposites in a creative tension. So what are we becoming? I would like to think we continually become more and more a community of people who love and care for one another. This is a vital part of being ourselves, without it we have no witness. Jesus calls all his disciples to love one another. This love should extend to all Christians and not just those of our own community or denomination. Essentially, however, the church does not exist for its own members but ‘for others’. Most of the members of St Mary’s are very active in the community. Many have demanding jobs. Do we take our Christian commitment with us, or do we separate our Sunday worship from our every day affairs? Just as importantly do we bring the cares and concerns of workplace and community back into the church for prayer and support even for action ? What sort of a community are we becoming both in our own eyes and perhaps more importantly, in the eyes of those who are not part of our fellowship? Yours, Janice |