I think that life is good when it’s a mixture of some things changing and some things staying the same. This month brings this home to us in a big way. We celebrate with Queen Elizabeth II, 60 years of her reign. Some of you reading this will remember her coronation and you know at first hand the enormous changes that she has seen and lived through. As well as massive changes in the way we live our everyday lives and the way the world is governed, Queen Elizabeth has lived through the ordinary changes that life brings; birth, children growing up, marriages and breakdown of relationships, loss of parents and her sister as well as the new twinges and challenges which come with getting older. However, whatever has happened, she has stood for the things which don’t change, courage, honesty, service, being trustworthy, being true to yourself, and putting your trust in God. She gives us an example of how a life filled with change is good when we know the important things that don’t change. When we know that God loves us whatever, and wants us to live our life to the full and do great things with him, then we dare to step out and face whatever life brings, both the things that change as well as the things that stay the same.
Most of us celebrate with the Queen from afar, without meeting her, but here in Bilborough and Strelley this month, we celebrate three women who are facing new changes and challenges with faith, courage, honesty, service, trustworthiness and being true to themselves. These women are not distant figures but they’re people whom we can see and talk to.
Karen Bradley has been with us since March 2011 as a student at St John’s College, training to be a vicar. She leaves Nottingham this month to take up a post as curate and you can find out more in her farewell letter. It’s been great having Karen with us, we’ll miss her, but wherever she goes she will be a blessing.
I’m glad to say that Katie Reeves, also a trainee vicar at St John’s, will be with us until at least the rest of the year. Do take this opportunity to get to know her and learn from her example of facing change with great faith.
Next month, we’ll welcome Gill Hall as our curate in training. She’ll be ordained deacon on July 1st and she’ll be learning and working with us with plenty of opportunity for us to get to know her. There’ll be more information about Gill in next month’s magazine, but please pray for her and Katie and Karen every day this month.
Pray also for Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and their family.
Pray too for those who are close to us, our own families, neighbours and friends. That way, we’ll all learn more about living life with and for God.
God bless you
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