Message from Rev’d Lynda – January 2024

Dear Friends,

Yet another year has swept by, and how quickly too!  As I sit and write this letter, we have just entered the period of Advent, which is a time of watching and waiting – waiting for the Christ child to be born, and also for when Christ comes again: the second coming. Advent encourages us to look forwards, rather than backwards – forwards to the good news of Christmas, but with the season of winter upon us, I wonder how many of us are looking even further on, to spring with its better weather?  I have just ordered my new desk calendar, so I can see at a glance the months of January, February and March; I can already visualise our churchyards covered with a carpet of snowdrops that herald the start of spring. Not that I want to wish my time away – far from it!

For some people, January can be a dull and miserable month. It’s even known for the “January Blues”, when after the festive season has passed, normality creeps in, and we wonder what we have to look forward to.  The lack of daylight, and sunshine in particular, means we don’t receive enough Vitamin D – and that in turn makes us feel sad and dejected. Our mood becomes low, and ends up matching the weather conditions around us.  So what can we do to avoid this happening?

Why not plan to take five or ten minutes each day to read your Bible – maybe follow a daily study guide? You may already be doing this, and will know the advantage of starting the day in this way. Finding space and some quiet time that gives us the opportunity to stop and listen to the silence can be really therapeutic.  Some people, including myself, find it helpful to spend time outdoors.  If this is possible for you, take a closer look at nature – things may seem dormant, but if you look really carefully, you might see the early signs of budding flowers emerging from the cold earth.  And it could be that for you, spending time with others – perhaps a friend or neighbour who you haven’t seen in a while, or even someone you hardly know who could be particularly sad themselves at this time of year – might be something to consider?

Our church community is particularly good at fellowship, and all our services finish with an opportunity to chat and enjoy the company of others, sometimes over coffee and even chocolate biscuits! If you haven’t been to church for a while, or indeed have never been, now could be your opportunity. As nature breaks through into spring, and we emerge from our ‘hibernation’, our mood will certainly lift.  But meanwhile, we have much to be thankful for – our homes, friends and families, and particularly the peace and safety in which we are fortunate enough to live; these are all blessings we so often take for granted.  As St Paul said in his letter to the Thessalonians (1Thessalonians 5.18): “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Revd Lynda

The Rectory, Barrow.