St Paul's Journal

Halifax, Nova Scotia Lent 1998

From the Rector

John Newton

For the past number of weeks newspaper headlines have been swirling with allegations of sexual misdemeanours and attempted cover-ups in the White House in Washington. Each day brings new revelations, new rumours of scandal. While these goings-on do not affect Canadians directly, they still receive wide coverage in our media and are inevitably a topic of conversation. How are we to react to them? Some of the emphases of the season of Lent may be of help in doing that.

One of the first things that Lent teaches us is the power of temptation. I cannot believe it was easy for Jesus to withstand Satan's offers of bread and political power and his challenge to Jesus' faith in God's fatherly care. Jesus was hungry. He had come to make God's rule of justice and peace a reality in the world. And he had to do it all trusting in his Father's unseen hand. Temptation came to Jesus because it comes to all of us, and there are powerful forces in our world calling us to take shortcuts, telling us that if it feels good it must be right, or that what we do in private doesn't matter to anyone but ourselves. It is very difficult sometimes to keep our ground against such arguments and that is why the Bible repeatedly warns us to be alert, to be on our guard.

A second (and rather unpopular at the moment) emphasis of Lent is the universality of sin. Just as none of us escapes temptation, I am not aware of anyone who has not fallen to it. We may not be mass murderers, serial rapists or even 'white collar' criminals. Yet who among us has not done things

that we regret or which may cause us shame when we think about them? Who among us has not, even if unintentionally, caused hurt or grief to another person? We may not like to hear it, but really the Bible is not telling us anything new when it says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Hand in hand with the Bible's recognition of sin is the offer of forgiveness. Sin inevitably causes barriersbetween ourselves and other people and between ourselves and God. Yet God's desire is that we should live in communion with him and with our neighbours. He does not want sin to have the final word in our lives. Far from it, he wants us to become the men and women that he created us to be in the first place. And so it is that through Christ and his sacrifice on the cross he holds out for us the offer of forgiveness, of reconciliation, of life in a loving relationship with him.

The way into that relationship is repentance. That does not mean wearing a hair shirt or sprinkling ourselves with ashes. What repentance is, is a frank admission of my need for God's forgiveness and healing. Basically it is a willingness to 'come clean', to be truthful about myself. Then, having come to that point of honesty, to turn from wrong and to turn to God and commit myself to him and to his loving purposes for me. Once again the Bible assures us that if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive us and will cleanse us from every kind of wrong.

Other than pray, there is very little that you or I can do about the situation in the

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Wardens' Corner

Patrick Hartling

This report will be issued and read as we proceed together to our Annual meeting. The annual report of the Wardens will summarize the many activities of the past year. In this report we intend to consider three things:

· the meaning of the season of Lent to our church community;

· some of the challenges of the year ahead;

· a reference to the work of the 21st Century task force;

As we move forward to Lent, we will be reminded in sermon and song of the quality of the sacrifice of Christ. His achievement is not only the mastery of sacrifice, but the example of strength he provided to his relatives and the disciples, and more importantly to those who we would term his adversaries. The challenge of Lent is not sacrifice alone, but giving of self in so many ways, with thoughts for others. We constantly hear of many quiet and loving examples of giving by members of St Paul's to others, and are thankful for these.

In the year ahead, we can look forward to another busy year as we address staffing issues, consider special services and educational events, work on the maintenance and enhancement of the church, and activity and leadership in such areas as pastoral outreach and spiritual development. We will also endeavour to strengthen our links with re

gional and diocesan affairs, as part of our community activity. We look forward to the opportunity to apply that model of caring and sharing of selfless sacrifice, as our time and talents allow, and are thankful for the inspiration and spirit of Christ.

Finally, a word or two on the 21st Century. We have created a model of education, discussion and consultation to consider our future. The Committee has prepared recommendations centering on three themes:

· strengthening our church experience as a group, and our readiness to meet the challenges of service;

· advancing further our substantial outreach to have continued impact beyond the doors of our church;

· looking at our resource base, namely our church and buildings, to find ways in which we can use that base to achieve a healthy and vibrant Christian community today and tomorrow. We urge you to consider and comment on these materials.

In close, we suggest that as we consider both the year ahead, and the plans we have put forward for your consideration that we consider the spirit of Lent. Lent signifies not only part of the why of our participation in a church community, but shows us how we are to make that contribution following Christ's example.

From the Rector (continued)

White House. But if it serves to remind us that none of us is immune from temptation and sin, if it challenges us to be honest about ourselves and our own personal failures, if it encourages us to turn to God and seek his

healing and forgiveness, then we shall have learned something. May God the Holy Spirit help us all to use this season of Lent to draw near to God and to experience his love and presence day by day.

Lent 1998 page

Lent

at St Paul's Church

Ash Wednesday, 25 February
8:00 a.m. Holy Communion

11:00 a.m. Holy Communion

5:00 p.m. Holy Communion

Sunday mornings:

"When Jesus comes

to your house"
Many of Jesus' miracles and much of his teaching took place in people's homes. Who were these people? What difference did Jesus make to their lives? This will be the subject of the Sunday morning Lenten sermons at 8:00, 9:15 and 11:00:
Sunday, March 1­ Lent 1

"A hole in the roof" (Luke 5:17-26)

Sunday, March 8­ Lent 2
"An unexpected guest" (Luke 7:36-50)

Sunday, March 15­ Lent 3
"Two emergencies" (Luke 8:40-56)

Sunday, March 22­ Lent 4
"Martha and Mary" (Luke 10:38-42)

Sunday, March 29­ Lent 5
"Zacchaeus" (Luke 19:1-10)

Guest preacher: Mr John Bowen,
Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship

Sunday, April 5­ Palm Sunday
"In the upper room" (Luke 22:14-38)

Sunday, April 12 ­ Easter Day
"At Emmaus" (Luke 24:13-35)

Sunday evenings:
"Our Biblical Heritage"

Who wrote the Bible? How did it come to us? Join us as we explore these and other questions each Sunday following a short service of Evening Prayer at 7o'clock. Here is an opportunity for those who may be unfamiliar with the Bible and long-time Bible readers to learn more about the sacred texts of our Christian faith.
Sunday, March 1, 7:00 p.m.

The Old Testament (1)

Sunday, March 8, 7:00 p.m.
The Old Testament (2)

Sunday, March 15, 7:00 p.m.
The New Testament (1):

Dr Tim Mclay
Acadia Divinity College

Sunday, March 9, 7:00 p.m.
The New Testament (2):

Dr Tim Mclay
Sunday, March 16, 7:00 p.m.

The English Bible:

Dr John Baxter
Dalhousie University

Sunday, March 23, 7:00 p.m.
The Bible Today:

The Rev. Wayne McCarther
Canadian Bible Society

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Christianity: boring, untrue and irrelevant?

David Hazen

This spring we will again be offering the Alpha program at St Paul's. The programme will take place on Tuesday nights from February 17 to March 31. It will also include one Saturday session in early March.

Alpha is a program which originated at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton Road in London. Parishes throughout the world are using it and this will be the fourth time we have presented it at St Paul's. Alpha covers the basics of Christianity by addressing a number of the "Questions of Life" through a presentation and discussion. The evening sessions all begin with a meal and presentation. Following the presentation, there is an opportunity for a "no holds barred" discussion of the material and any other issues that come up. Those participating are encouraged to ask questions related to the material or anything else related to the Christian faith. No question is too simple, naïve or thorny.

If you are new to the church or want a refresher course on the basics: this is the course for you. If you are simply wondering how to deal with some issues related to living out the faith we profess: here is an opportunity to put them on the table. If you are only curious and want to meet some people in a relaxed atmosphere - perhaps spawning some new friendships: there is a place for you as well.

Please try to at least attend on the 17th and see what it is about.

(PS: If you are coming, a call to the Church Office would be helpful just so we know how many to expect)

Making Epiphany Personal

Agnes Flam

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation" (Colossians1:15). I love the truth that in Christ Jesus we have a tangible way to know God. The chronicles of Jesus' life, as recorded in the gospels, give us an insight into the very heart of a loving and compassionate God. Here we seeJesus weeping over Jerusalem. We see him looking with compassion on the unsavoury people of the world, the prostitutes, the money grabbers, the violent, and others. We see in Jesus the righteousness of God: the holy anger he has at the temple becoming a place of commerce, the challenges to authentic living he gives to the religious leaders of the day. The integrity of Jesus is an immovable aspect of his character. In him we see the glory of God contained in a human body. What an irony!

Even more ironic is the fact that he has given us this glory"us" being the people who believe that he is the Son of God, that he has taken our punishment on the cross, and that in him we rise to new life, eternally with the Father. He has given us his Holy Spirit, the person who enables and empowers us to liveas Christ did. What an incredible gift! Not only has Christ given us eternal life with him, but he has given us the power to be like him, right here and now. As we come to the end of the season of Epiphany, I pray that we would all experience what a friend of mine calls a "personal epiphany", a new understanding of Jesus Christ, our God. I pray that we would all grow deeper in our love for Jesus and for his body, the church.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, the body of Christ, for being so supportive of me in my role as Director of

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To Know Him Is To Love Him

Denise G. McKay

While contemplating on this poem, it wasn't very long,

Before my mind remembered the title of a song

Which had been on the hit parade, some forty years ago,
A pretty tune, appealing words, which to the mind clung so!
'To know him is to love him," was the title and the theme,
A schoolgirl's crush upon a boy, the idol of her dreams.
Although the song and theme itself in this poem have no place,
The title seemed appropriate in the knowledge of God's grace,
And the wondrous love of Jesus, his death upon the cross,
Our lifetime to salvation against eternal loss.
No other love in all this world can match what God can give
To those who follow Jesus, and choose the life to live
Within God's ten commandments, the straight and narrow way,
Those souls will know the love of God, his presence everyday;
His words to teach them wisdom from the Bible, tried and true,
Through the Holy Spirit's prompting in knowing what to do.
The Saviour ever close to them, supplying every need,
To know him is to love him, a wondrous Friend indeed!
Written and composed with God's help for the 'Valentine' month of February 1998.
"As the Father hath love me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love." John 15:9

Christian Education at St Paul's. This is a marvellous congregation. It has been a pleasure towork with such a dedicated group of believers. As we continue to worship together, I pray that God will reveal to our congregation, the rector and the wardens, just what his vision for St Paul's is. I pray that we will be prepared by God to receive his vision and carry it out. We have a greatand mighty God! "He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it." (Philippians 2:8)

Suffering from the February blahs?

Come along to St Paul's first

Mid-Winter Hymn Sing

7:00 p.m. Sunday, 22 February

An opportunity to warm your heart

with some of your favourite hymns!

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21st Century Thoughts

Roger Bureau

That magic number is getting closer and closer. The Year 2000 is only two years away. There is an aura about this milestone which conjures up all sorts of opportunities for making new starts and special resolutions. This is the chance we have all been waiting for to emigrate to a new millennium. We can throw away the trappings of the twentieth century and claim a fresh start as the new millennium starts.

Many see it as a time to party it up (we are told that champagne from France is already fully pre-booked for this occasion). For others it may be a time when resolutions of real substance should be made. After all this is not just any New Year. It brings in a New Millennium!

The unwritten hope is that this next thousand years will be new and different. Some may optimistically hope for a thousand years of peace. A time to breakdown the barriers of poverty, pestilence, unemployment. A time to put exploitation and greed behind us. The new millennium should make us all look for a new Utopia.

Why should anything change? Who is going to change it? What's in it for the "me" generation in which we are living? Will poverty disappear? Will exploiters be put to shameful rest? Why should anything change?

The key lies in the simple fact that most of the world does not understand what it is that they are really celebrating. If they did then maybe some of the hopes they have might really have a chance of happening. Isn't it our job as Christians to make people realize what it is we are all celebrating? The significance of this date is lost on most people. Because this date is really quite meaningless unless you are a Christian.

Two thousand years after what? Buddha was born about 2,500 years ago. Mohammed was born in the sixth century A.D. and Abraham (the father of Israel?) lived almost four thousand years ago. Why then the hype in a world which seems to be largely pagan and unresponsive to the teachings of Jesus? What is the point of it all?

Let's flip this over the other way. What do we as Christians hope to achieve by celebrating this auspicious anniversary of his birth? Are we excited and do we show that excitement to others who want to celebrate our Lord's coming to us as a human being? This, after all is the only reason for this particular celebration. The year two thousand has no significance unless we accept the fact that this is the two thousandth anniversary of the birth of our Lord. The world is a lot older than two thousand years. But the key thing is that the reference point that everyone is celebrating is the birth of Jesus.

What then can we, as Christians, share with our non-Christian friends as we ponder the opportunities that this celebration offers? How can we use this event to "share the Gospel"? Why would anyone want to celebrate these two thousand years otherwise?

We have a unique (once in a millennium!) opportunity to ensure that this becomes a Christian event. We have failed with Xmas, as John pointed out in one of his Christmas sermons. We have let the commercial world celebrate December 25th as a gift giving, overeating, overindulgent celebration.

In the case of Christmas the church used a well-known pagan festival of Saturnalia as a suitable event to celebrate the birth of Christ. There may be some rationale therefore why many celebrate this mid-winter festival in less than religious terms.

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But in the case of the millennium celebrations its entire reason for being rests on one historical fact. We are celebrating the anniversary of God's coming down on earth to us as one of us. Our very day to day calendar is geared to this event. That is why it is the year 2000.

This is a good enough reason for celebration, for hope and for joy. When Jesus came to us, his message was designed to change the world. Two thousand years later that ambition should still be with us as his followers. He came as master and taught us by his leadership as a servant. He came to save us as sinners and did it by taking sin upon his shoulders for all of us. He died for us on the cross as the intermediary between us and God. Even though he is God, God through his Son, understands our weaknesses. If we can begin to make others aware of why this celebration of the year 2000 is so important, we will have served our purpose as his servants. If we fail to do that we will once again have lost an opportunity. In this case the opportunity is unique. It is not just something we can do every day. It is something that we can only do oncesomething that happens only once every thousand years!

Now is as good a time as any to start thinking about how we should share this event as Christians with our non-Christian friends. Now is the time to share with others, whenever this subject is mentioned, the message of Christ, for which they plan to party it up. Let's party with them in the knowledge that our celebration is rooted in the sheer joy of knowing him.

We need some way to make the very mention of this event meaningful in Christian terms. In the Russian language at the time

of Easter they do not say, as we do, "Happy Easter"to which we reply "Happy Easter". The Russians greet each other at this time by saying, "Christ is risen!" and the answer to this greeting is, "He is risen indeed!" In this way this seasonal greeting becomes a Christian message on everyone's lips.

How can we conjure up the same sense of excitement and develop a similar Christian message for the year of our Lord two thousand? Happy New Year? Surely there must be a better way of expressing our joy at this millennial celebration of the two thousandth anniversary of the year of the coming of our Lord?

Any suggestions?

A play for the 200th Anniversary of St Paul's was performed in 1949. If anyone has a copy of this play, or knows where one may be found, please could you call the church office, or Fiona Day at 477-8575 (or e-mail at wfday@cast.navnet.net). Thank you!

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Will You Take His Hand?

David Hazen

Disasters at sea have probably always been a part of life in Halifax. From the earliest days to this past week people have recounted tales of ships sinking and heroic efforts to attempt to rescue passengers and crew. The wreck of the S.S. Atlantic was for years one of the worst maritime disasters in history. The past month we have had a particular focus on a sinking in 1912. A great ship, on her maiden voyage, sank taking most of the people aboard with her. The ship was the pride of the British Empire and carried with her a great cross section of society; from steerage class immigrants fleeing poverty for a better life in North America to the cream of society. The ship was proclaimed "unsinkable" by her designers and builders. The events of the night of April 14, 1912, showed the naivity of this statement.

The sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic, involving so many people, carried with it as many stories as there were people involved. There were many tales of personal heroism. There were likely to be just as many tales of cowardice. As in the recent movie, there were probably even some tales of romance. Some of the best and the brightest leaders of society on both sides of the Atlantic perished. Families were split apart and yet the survivors were bound together by the experience of being surviving the tragedy.

The sinking of the Titanic was one of those events that had a profound effect around the world. It was one of the first marine disasters to benefit from the new Marconi wireless. This device, installed so that wealthy passengers could maintain contact with business associates, was used successfully to summon assistance. International conventions after the accident dictated that all ocean going ships would carry radios

and that they would all carry sufficient lifeboats for the entire ship's complement. The successors of these conventions are still in force today: in the regulations which dictate the level of safety equipment from liners to ferries to the smallest rowboat and canoe.

As dramatic an event as the sinking of the Titanic was, there is an even more dramatic rescue effort underway today. The objective is the rescue of the entire human race! The tale is equally as tragic. For the most part, the passengers and crew are carrying on blindly, full of faith in their own creations and their ability to sort out the unforeseen. They continue to steam at full speed through treacherous ice-fields oblivious to the danger but conscious of their own schedules that "must" be kept. As the ship starts to go down, some cry out for help, some insist on priority in the rescue and many are trampled in the panic. Once in the water, many are unable to move due to the shock of the frigid water.

The good news is that the tragedy was foreseen. Even as the ship steamed on, plans were being put in place to rescue the passengers and crew. Unlike the Titanic, this rescue has capacity for the whole complement. As the ship is sinking, there is a rescue craft at hand skippered by one who knows the seas and is determined to save everyone he can. This is a skipper who personally dives into the frigid water to pull a drowning person to safety, and then goes back for another and another. As lifeboats ferry the survivors to safety, this tireless saviour continues going back into the water again and again.

The sad thing is that there are those who refuse his help. Perhaps they figure they can swim to shore or even ride on an ice

Lent 1998 page

berg. Perhaps they are waiting for a more comfortable lifeboat or more suitable company. In spite of the offer of assistance and the pleas of those already in the lifeboats, the stubborn ones continue to swim away from the rescue craft towards certain destruction.

When Dr Robert Ballard discovered the remains of the Titanic a few years ago he found the ocean bottom littered with, among other things, boots. It turns out that the boots were the only things left of those who went down with the ship. All other traces of those unfortunate victims had been removed over the years by the biological and chemical processes in the ocean. The survivors made port and picked up their lives. Some are still with us today.

Our ship is sinking and we are being offered a life preserver and a tow to the life boats. What are we going to do about it? It is a simple decision. Will we take the hand that is offered or will we shake it off and insist on trying to save ourselves? Will we climb into the lifeboats with a lot of other wet and bedraggled people or will we wait for more "suitable" company? The hand is stretched out and the offer is there. There may not be another opportunity.

Accepting the offer is as easy as saying 'Yes' and yet hard because of what we leave behind: our independence is must exchanged for an acceptance of Christ's authority; our pride for an objective assessment of who and what we are. If you have not already accepted Christ please consider doing it now. A simple prayer like this is all it takes: "Lord Jesus, I am sorry for the things that I have done wrong. I have tried to live by my own rules not yours. I have tried to save myself and ignored you. This

was a terrible mistake and I am sorry. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything which I know is wrong (especially). Thank you for dying on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free. Thank you for offering me forgiveness and the gift of your Holy Spirit. I accept them both. Please come into my life to be with me forever. Amen." It is not a decision to be taken lightly but the rest of crowd in the lifeboat is holding its breath waiting.

St Paul's Journal is published by

St Paul's Church

1749 Argyle Street

Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3K4

Telephone: (902) 429-2240
Facsimile: (902) 429-8230

E-mail: stpauls@chebucto.ns.ca
Home Page:
www.chebucto.ns.ca/Religion/StPauls
The Rev. John Newton, Rector
Mr Dennis Pilkey, Senior Warden

Mr Patrick Hartling, Junior Warden

Mrs Jane Bureau, Deputy Warden

Mr Paul Hutten, Director of

Music Ministries
Submissions to St Paul's Journal are always welcome. The deadline for the next issue is 15 March 1998.

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The Importance

of St Paul's Archives

Sarah Emsley
Joseph Howe said in 1871 that "a wise nation preserves its records", he might also have said that a wise church preserves its records. The archives of St Paul's Church contain important pieces of our parish history. As the oldest Protestant church in Canada, St Paul's has registers of births, deaths, and marriages dating back to 1749. While some might not agree that parish registers, church wardens' accounts, and other historical documents are interesting reading, we need to recognize just how important this information is as a record of the church's ministry to the needs of the community from the earliest days of the city of Halifax. This information is important to historians and parishioners, as well as to people who are looking for information about their ancestors.

One of our own parishioners discovered a close tie to St Paul's through her ancestor, a son of Sir Peregrine Maitland. Not all researchers of family trees will become parishioners here, of course, but it is important to recognize the connections made nonetheless. Researchers do contact St Paul's directly, rather than dealing with an impersonal institution, and in their contact with the people of our church there is an unseen ministry that goes on.

When these researchers are treated kindly, when we see them as on a kind of pilgrimage to find meaning in their family roots, we present the church as an understanding place. This image of the church as a place that can provide some (if not all) of the answers would be lost if the person looking only contacted the Public Archives. When people come looking for information about ancestors, it is tremendously important that

we be able to show them that the church was here for their ancestors, is here for them, and always shall be. This simple fact can be a great comfort in our hectic world.

The archives are not just a collection of old files and dead records. Even from the churchwardens' accounts we catch glimpses of people: in receipts like this one: "Dr. Inglis [sic] To Mrs Pearson To washing 2 surplices [sic]" signed Elizabeth X [her mark] Pearson, we discover the names of people otherwise lost in history, people who couldn't write their names, let alone their stories. Everyone knows who Charles and John Inglis weretheir names will live in the memory of the diocese as the first and third bishops of Nova Scotiabut who thinks of Elizabeth Pearson, the washerwoman who received a few pennies from John Inglis' large salary? To know that we are taking care of the archives, on an ongoing basis, can give us the comfort of knowing that our names, all the members of this parish united in the Lord's service, will not be forgotten, and that we will be remembered among the parishioners who have made St Paul's their home since 1749.

As the oldest Protestant church in Canada, we at St Paul's are in a fortunate position to have the opportunity (and the responsibility) to be the stewards of many years worth of historical documents. These documents represent a sense of continuity of service and worship at St Paul'sthey are our links with our fellow parishioners who have passed through the doors of our church. Indeed, caring for our archives is a form of stewardship, building on our rich past as we prepare for our future service to Christ.

The archives are a source of education

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More Lent opportunities for study and growth

Weekday evenings:

"When Jesus comes to your house"

Get together with some of your fellow parishioners for a weekly evening with Jesus and his disciples along the road to Jerusalem. Each week's study focuses on the gospel reading for the following Sunday.
Choose whichever group is most convenient for you. Study guides will be available at the group meetings or from the leaflet rack at the back of the church.

Tuesdays: Armdale

7:30 p.m. at the home of Roger and Jane Bureau, 10 St Margaret's Bay Road

479-2164

Wednesdays: South End
7:30 p.m. at the home of Harry and Judi Thompson, 941 Beaufort Avenue

423-7744

Weekday Opportunities
for Worship and Prayer

Mondays at 12:15 p.m.
Prayer for the church and the world: Half an hour of informal intercession, in the Memorial Room.

Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m.

Holy Communion: a mid-week service in the Chapel.

Wednesdays at 12:15 p.m.

Wednesday on the Parade. Bible seminars for people working in the city core: "Nine habits of highly effective Christians"

and in many instances, a great source of inspiration to us as a parish. It is indeed inspiring to read about how the parishioners of St Paul's responded with compassion and strength in the relief efforts after the Halifax Explosion (as described in Dr Armitage's account in the Parish Magazine). Without this clear and heartfelt account preserved in the archives, the caring evinced by our predecessors would slowly fade from our parish's collective memory.

Dr Armitage's account is among the many historical documents that are rapidly deteriorating. We must preserve our archives for the generations to come. To do this, we need to establish an official archival policy, to provide a properly-equipped space for storage and preservation, and to develop with professional assistance an accessible inventory of these materials. In the future, the operation of the archives may well be self-sustaining; however, if the archives are required to be self-sustaining now, the collection will most likely continue to disintegrate.

St Paul's Church is of significant historical importance; our archival records are of financial as well as of historical value. We must take responsibility for the records which have been entrusted to our care and commit our human and financial resources to keeping our history alive at St Paul's.

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On Prayer

Gretchen Gillis

Are you one of those people who think God is too busy for you to bother him with your problems? Or that you are not important enough? Or that you really shouldn't pray for your own needs?

Do you not know that God cares if you even get a paper-cut?!! Or, that he is not limited by time or space as we are, and that he can deal with all the prayers that are directed to him at all time, in ways we can't even begin to understand? And, as for not being important enough, there is no one, in God's sight who is less important, or more important, than anyone else. God loves us, each and every one, and he wants to receive our prayers.

God wants us to bring our problems and difficulties to him, through Jesus, as our trusted friend; he wants to bless us as we pray our needs to him. Sometimes we need to be specific in our prayers; at other times we can simply cry, "Help!" God wants us to keep our eyes and ears open for his responses

to our requests: his answers are not always what we expect! But they are always designed for our good.

Prayer can be much more than simply asking for our own needs, or the needs of others, though both are truly important. Prayer can be thanksgiving and heartfelt gratitude for blessings received. And even in the worst of times, when we may feel there is nothing to give thanks for, we can be sure that God knows, and cares, and that in his own way and time he will reach out to help and comfort us.

Prayer can be praise for God, too, for just who he is, and for his great love for us: Creator, goodness itself, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, holy, true,

All-knowing, perfect Love...

So, if you have been shy about praying, or asking others to pray for you, do please, take those first steps and begin: God will be delighted!

Winter Sunshine

Patience Strong

Sun in Winter thrills us more than June's bright golden blaze;

Sun in Winterlighting up the dreary and dismal days...

Shedding its transforming power benignly, secretly
Waking into sudden life the stark and leafless tree.
Sun in Winter breaking through a rift among the clouds;
Sin in Winter shining on the faces of the crowds;

Like a smile, beneficent, upon the world's old face
Changing to a loveliness, the drab and commonplace.
So Love's touch upon a heart that has grown cold with fear;
In its warm enfolding glow doubts melt and disappear

Searching out the frozen places with its magic ray
Just like Winter sunshine on a cold and dreary day.