DISCOVERING THE FAITHFULNESS OF
GOD
Autumn is often the time of year when life's journey is felt more keenly.
For young people autumn is when a new academic year starts, perhaps at a
new school or university, with new friends, teachers and courses. And inevitably,
parents and grandparents get caught up in these sorts of new beginnings
too.
More generally in the life of communities, there is a sense of things starting
up again after some sort of summer break. This is particularly noticeable
in the Church. August is not a popular month for meetings, new initiatives
are not normally launched in July, so come September there is quite a sense
of normal church life resuming again.
But as Autumn wears on, we begin to think of life's journey from a different
perspective. The new beginnings of the earlier part give way often to a
more reflective mood, as the evenings draw in and as the routines settle
down again. The Church celebrates Harvest and All Souls and All Saints; there
is the festival of Remembrance; and we think more of where we have come from
and whom we are thankful for.
For the Jenkin household this year, September has overwhelmingly been a
new beginning! The endings in Melton Mowbray have been good endings, satisfying
endings with much to be thankful for. But it has been exhausting too, and
inevitably our arrival in Ipswich has continued the exhausting process,
unpacking all the boxes and finding our feet in a new place. Thank you for
the real warmth of the welcome we have received. It's good to be here.
Exploring new beginnings and reflecting on the journey past; here is a
key dynamic for authentic faith. God is not a god of a static and unchanging
universe. Supremely his work is to renew and redeem his creation. And it
is in exploring all that is new and in reflecting on all that has been that
God's faithfulness is discovered and known.
As I explore my new ministry in Ipswich, I know I can trust in this. As
the Church seeks to make sense of Christian faith in a fast changing modern
world, we know we can trust in this. As St Mary-le-Tower explores its mission
at the start of a new chapter, we can trust that together we will discover
anew the faithfulness of God.
Charles Jenkin
