Ashbourne Methodist Circuit Magazine September 2002 From the Manse Dear friends, Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for inviting me to come to Ashbourne as your minister and Superintendent. I am eager to get to know you all. Please forgive me if I ask your name a second or a third time. It takes a while to fit 200+ names to faces, especially when presented with a sea of faces all at once. But one by one I will get to know you and you will get to know me. I think of Jesus, addressing the crowd, giving his teaching, the crowd large and anonymous. But out of the crowd pop up individuals, a person with a particular need coming for healing. Suddenly there is a face, a story. In the one-to-one encounter with Jesus that need is met. They go away strengthened, healed, restored. Others come with a particular question, He tests their understanding, leads them into deeper faith, challenges them to move on. I think of Paul’s words in Romans ch 1, “I want very much to see you, in order to share a spiritual blessing with you, to make you strong…that both you and I will be helped at the same time, you by my faith and I by yours”. That’s it, a mutual sharing of faith. We are all at different stages on our faith journey. But it is in the meeting, in the encounter, that each receives a blessing. Each encouraged in their faith and challenged to move on. So many of Jesus’ stories are about growth. Seeds that grow and produce a crop, or become a tree that bears fruit and offers shelter. The Kingdom of God is an ever growing Kingdom. There is no room for standing still, for saying “I’ve arrived”. To do so is to stagnate, to wither and die. Always God has something new for us, fresh delights, a new glimpse of his glory, a change in an area of service, bringing a new challenge, a deeper trust in Him. Coming to a new station is always daunting. But I have learned that somehow God has already prepared the way. That past experiences have been the preparation for the challenge that lies ahead. We will face challenges together. We will laugh and cry together. We will find God is teaching us and shaping us into the people He wants us to be. Blessed be the name of the Lord, for his mercy endures for ever, and his love never fails. I look forward to getting to know you, hearing your story, finding God together. God bless you all, With love, Chris |