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Rector's Letter June 2007 Dear Friends, ‘Do not worry’. ‘Cast your troubles on the Lord’. How many times do I say these pieces of scripture to myself? Yet somehow it seems part of the human condition – worrying. I would not class myself as particularly a worrier; sometimes I can shut off when I shouldn’t. David would query ‘sometimes’. But there are lots of times when I can feel myself getting wound up about the comparatively incidental. When one steps back to look at the bigger picture, does it matter if insufficient folk have been visited – what’s the criterion, anyway? Some people love a visit but I’m sure most folk have enough to do without needing to entertain me for an hour or so. Although I think the idea is that I ‘entertain’ you. But if I’m bogged down with meetings and paperwork I do get anxious. Most of our fretting is about things that might happen but fortunately don’t. If a fraction of the things we worry about happened, the world would be in a ten times worse state than it is. If something dreadful does happen, our having worried about it beforehand has not helped at all. Worry is linked to fear. Jesus says perfect love casts out all fear. We obviously all need to practise love more. The instruction not to worry must not, however, be linked to lack of concern. Concern is a very different creature to worry. To be genuinely concerned about a situation or person should result in action – prayer if we can do nothing and prayer and action if there’s something constructive we can do. Fear is a natural reaction to help us avoid situations which would put us in danger and to get out of them quickly if they haven’t been avoided. But excessive fear cripples and limits us. A degree of risk is necessary in life. Having just celebrated Ascension Day and on the verge of celebrating Pentecost, I think these important festivals have something to teach us about both fear and worry. When filled with the Holy Spirit, the disciples became emboldened – they stopped being a terrified huddle and became an empowered force through which the Gospel could be spread. It all has something to do with freedom, with release. When a burden of worry falls from our shoulders, we do feel a great release. We can lift our heads instead of looking at the ground. I’ve always wanted to be a free spirit. We usually use the term to describe someone who’s unconventional, even ‘off the wall’, or someone who has no concern about what others think of them (which can be a good or a bad thing). Anyway, in this Pentecost season I pray we will all be free spirits in the best sense of the words: free from the burden of pointless worries; free to love and to rest secure in God. Janice PS If anyone would like a visit from myself or Giles please mention it to me. We enjoy visiting. |