REFLECTIONS


These pieces are written each month by members of our clergy team.

January Leader

I guess most of you will have had the same reaction that I had when I started to think about the year 2026 – where did 2025 go! They say that the older you get the faster the years seem to go and it's all about the proportion of the year to the number of years you've lived. Well that might be the case but here we are and 2026 has finally arrived and the next twelve months are ahead of us once more. Again, for most of us, filling in the diary [either on paper or on one or more ‘devices’ - I still like both] has already meant some dates are already sorted.

It could be holidays. It might be a life changing event like a new school or moving home. Perhaps there is a family wedding coming up or that long awaited surgery is now on schedule. So many things ahead of us that may already be embedded in the diary. For those whose lives are structured around the school year, whether you be a teacher or a parent or grandparent, all the dates are in the diary and even half term has been worked out and negotiated! If we are not careful of course we can plan the whole year, which may be a good thing, but may not leave too much space for the unexpected or simply those moments for rest and refreshment.

Yet for some there is not much point in having a diary or planner. Most days will be empty and spent alone. For others, each day will be the same: full of fear or anxiety; the crushing despair of debt or the realisation that they need yet another drink to cope.

There may be many things in our lives which may or may not need a diary but there is one area we should not leave to chance in our 2026 planning and that is the relationships we have with others. We can often take these for granted and that is a dangerous thing to do it seems to me. We may not have a plan or schedule, but we need to ‘make time’ with those around us, whether family, friends or work. How that works will vary - some relationships are more important. Some may be too complex. All of them can shape our lives.

The author of Ecclesiastes 3:1-12 has some views on ‘time’ that we might want to think about, not all of them comfortable but all of them provide something to think about: “time to keep and a time to cast away” or “a time to keep silence and a time to speak” and there are many more. As we begin 2026, there is one relationship I believe we must give due consideration to and that is the one we may or may not have with God. For those of us who have a strong belief in God, whatever our religion, how do we maintain that in a good and healthy way - it may be different from our other relationships but similar ‘rules’ apply. I think God wants to bless us and give us his peace but are we open to those possibilities? For those reading this who have not really thought about such a relationship or have given up, may 2026 be the year you find that love of God which passes all our understanding. Paul

Gracious Lord, as we begin the cycle of this new year, help us to let go of the past hurts and disappointments and to firmly grasp the opportunities which may lay ahead. May we find our blessings in you and for our part be a blessing to others. In all our endeavours may we find love, light and peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Paul

Reflection:  

The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light, and those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned For unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders.   And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.’  Isaiah 9: 2 and 6

The above passage from the Old Testament book of Isaiah is often read at Christmas Carol services and was famously set to wonderful music by Handel in his 'Messiah'.  It's read at Christmas because in this passage the prophet Isaiah, writing in the 8th century BC, looks forward to the birth of a son who will be God on earth and will bring redemption to his people.  At the time of writing this prophecy Isaiah's world was full of war, calamity, political uncertainty, corruption and injustice. Sound familiar?  Many of Isaiah’s prophecies are stark warnings concerning the consequences for those in power who do not follow the ways of God and of justice and peace.  Amidst all the difficulties and hardships of Isaiah’s world he points to a hopeful future when God will intervene to save his people.  This was accomplished with the birth of Christ in Bethlehem 800 years after the prophecy was made.  

There have never really been any "good old days" - wars, famines, plagues, poverty, natural disasters, personal problems, have always blighted the lives of people in past times.  Every generation has had to face its own challenges, as we do in our time.  As in the past, the one thing that we cannot live without is hope, that is what people are crying out for in our world today.  Isaiah looks forward to the birth of a Wonderful Counsellor, the Prince of Peace, the one who brings hope to us and light when we are sitting in darkness. This is not just the anticipated birth of another human being but Jesus born as Mighty God, who will be as human as we are, but Divine in His love and power.   

Much emphasis today is placed on mental well-being and counselling can do much to help people in times of difficulty. The teachings of Jesus and his risen presence in our lives is always a source of wise counsel that directs our lives and guides us through times of fear and uncertainty. For Isaiah Jesus would be the Wonderful Counsellor for all who seek him.  

Jesus is also the Prince of Peace, the adherents of religion in past times and in current times can use their faith to spread hatred and violence.  Religion does not cause war, but the misuse of religious texts and beliefs to justify aggression and hatred does. Peace does not mean that we give into every act of aggression, or that we do not stand up strongly against evil and hatred.  Peace amongst nations is maintained by strong armed forces and adherence to the rule of law. The maintenance of peace also needs other things which Christ teaches us, a willingness to listen to the other, a willingness to forgive and to work towards reconciliation, a need to care for each other, and to eradicate the things which lead to war such as poverty and injustice.  

Furthermore, Christ brings peace to our inner lives.  Think about  life - is not the human mind a heaving sea of worry, desire, conflict, fear, anxiety, discontentment, boredom, loss, regret, responsibility, intertwined with times of happiness, contentment, joy, pleasure, anticipation and love?  Sometimes in life the darker feelings are in the ascendency and sadly for some people they are prevalent for long stretches of time.  

Peace is what we all need, not just quiet and silence but a peace which comes uniquely from being in the presence of Our Lord.  Let me give you an example.  The other Sunday morning a few of us were gathered for the 8.00 a.m. Holy Communion service and the tranquil setting of St. Giles on a lovely early morning conveyed peace and tranquillity.  After having received Christ in Holy Communion we became lost in a sense of peace in which time itself stood still.  It's moments like that which confirm to me why going to our Church and being with Christ the Prince of Peace can be such a transformative experience saving us from incessant stress and stimulation. I very much appreciate the times of silence that we include in our services.   

Christmas is also a time of heightened stress, as there can be expectations that we should all be happy and having a great time.  Christmas can also remind us of our losses, the people who are no longer with us, of family rifts and people who are not well.  Christmas is also a time when we experience the joy of being with people we love and care about over a festive meal.  

In our above passage Isaiah brings together the darkness of life which we acknowledge during Advent, and he also speaks of the hope and peace that will enter into the world through the birth of God’s own Son, Jesus, who is the light of the world, born to us on Christmas day.

Matthew

ABOUT ST. GILES CHURCH


Monthly Bulletins

It has now been 5 years since we started sending out our monthly Bulletin as a result of the Covid pandemic and I know from various feedback that the Bulletin is very much appreciated.  Going forward I remain very committed to making sure that all of us who love St. Giles are kept informed not only of what is going on at our Church but encouraged in the understanding and practice of the Christian faith. 

In the future we will continue to write to you but every other month making sure that our bulletins coincide with the important occasions in the Church's year.  Our next Bulletin will be sent out in July.

Matthew Hughes, May 2025