Pastoral letter from the Co-Superintendent

Dear friends,

There is something uniquely Methodist about the Circuit Preaching Plan, with the churches listed and the names of those taking Sunday services. My dad used to collect plans from many circuits and would spend hours looking at them, and he could tell you who was preaching where on any Sunday! I have to be honest and admit I am a bit like that too.

However, as we all know, worship is not restricted to Sundays only – but we would have to chop all the trees down in the Forest of Dean if we were to put on paper every act of worship!

I am reminded of the account in the gospels where the lady anoints Jesus with the costly perfume – seen by Jesus as a loving act, and by others as wasteful – that was true worship! Pure, sacrificial, loving (John 12.1-8).

As churches we hold many weekday events – coffee mornings, youth clubs, bible studies, food bank hubs, art classes, toddler groups. They may not look anything like a Sunday act of worship, but as places of mission they can in their own ways bring joy to those who attend and to our Father God. When run as acts of prayerful, pure, sacrificial love, worship quietly happens also, and it can be then that the love of God in Jesus is shared. George Herbert, hymn com-poser, wrote the following lines...Seven whole days, not one in seven, I will praise Thee.

So thank you for the weekday events you are involved in – they are not add-ons to Sunday, they are all part of the worshipping week.

God Bless

Michelle

PS – The eagle-eyed among you will spot the welcome return of the Circuit's online worship. A small and enthusiastic group of preachers have met and agreed to produce a monthly online service which will be available to everyone via the Circuit YouTube account at 8am on the advertised Sunday. Services will be produced into the New Year when it will be reviewed. We hope you enjoy them. Thanks to those preachers who are working hard to make this facility available once again.