Have you ever had an experience which triggered off a distant memory?
A few years ago, I was sitting with my wife on the ancient stone bench against the wall in the North Transept of Wells Cathedral, looking up at their fascinating clock. And I suddenly had a flashback to when I was a small child with my mother telling me to look at the clock on the hour; I looked away at the exact moment and missed it! I must have been less than 4 - and ‘pre-school’ - as it was a Church Women’s Fellowship outing I attended - and my mother still remembers it!
We need events to remind us of what we need to remember. Sometimes we do things more out of nostalgia, but there are things we must not forget. Remembrance Sunday and Remembrance Day are there to ensure we realise how easy it is to go to war, as sadly we are still increasingly experiencing in our world. And we are challenged to work for peace wherever possible.
The church’s year is filled with commemorations of events and truths we must not forget. It seems only a handful of major one are now marked and remembered, but we must not forget what we are taught about the past and must constantly learn from where and how we have reached this point in history.
Holy Communion is the most vivid reminder we have of God’s greatest act in history of giving His son Jesus to suffer and die for us, and be raised to life conquer evil, sin and death. So, all major church festivals and commemorations are traditionally marked in this way. But there are other ways, especially involving meeting others on walks, pilgrimages, prayer gatherings, bible learning and other groups.
With the biggest festival in our culture as well as our church coming up next month, we want to prepare once again by marking Advent over four Thursday lunchtimes in Keysoe. Venue is to be decided, but we will be using the Course by John Bell of the Iona Community ‘The life in the comma’. During this squeezed out season at the beginning of the church’s year, we will think more deeply about our life, faith and our role in serving the world. And pointing all to Jesus who came to this earth because our failings; to bring God’s world back to what God intends and wants for us because of His great love for us.
Will you make time at the end of November and into December to remember and be reminded again of all that God has done for us and His call to us?
Keysoe Thursday lunchtimes 12:30-2:30pm (venue TBA)
November 28th and December 5th, 12th & 19th
Timothy Wilson
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