​Dear Friends,

​

A few months ago I was preparing for retirement, or, in Methodist terms, I was preparing to ‘sit down.’ By now I expected to be sitting on a deck chair in Bridlington. (Bridlington is where our retirement home is)! I was however made aware of and received an invitation to serve in this circuit and to offer pastoral care at Aldbrough, Brandesburton and Hornsea. Believing that I have more to give I was delighted to accept the invitation on a part-time basis.

 

Between 31st August and 1st September this year, something interesting happened. I became new! Well, since then, people have been referring to me as their ‘new’ minister.

 

I don’t feel new, I don’t look any different today to how I looked yesterday, last week or last month! However, I am in a ‘new’ circuit, serving ‘new’ churches, meeting ‘new’ people and God, Rev 21:5 tells us that he is making all things ‘new!’ But first we are told that there is to be “no more death or mourning or crying or pain,” As we look around the world in which we live, people are still dying and being mourned, there are tears being shed and there is much pain, this is because we are most obviously still living in the old order of things where death and mourning, crying and pain are experiences which are all too common to us and many around the world.

 

Thankfully, we don't have to wait for heaven and earth to pass away for the new order of things to come, because there is a sense in which the new order is already upon us. ‘I am making everything new!’ says God. He doesn't say ‘I'm thinking about making everything new’ or, ‘One day I'll get around to it.’ But ‘I am making all things new.’ This I believe is God's promise to us in the here and now. That He, if we allow Him too, will make all things new, including our lives. 

 

In this new church year, God, I believe, has something new for each and everyone of us; a new blessing to give, a new lesson to teach us, new experiences to share with us.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is the faithfulness of the Lord.” Lamentations 3:22–23

 Are we open to receive new blessings, to allow God to do something new in us, through us and amongst us? In our lives, our churches and our circuit?

A further thought leads me to ask one further question, and I leave this thought with you. How about doing something new for God? What new thing might that be?

 

Prayerfully yours,

​

Graham

Rev Graham Morgan