WHAT DO YOU SEE?

 The recent welcome service for Peter Bennett, the new minister based in Newbury, was led by Andrew Wood, the Chair of District. In his sermon he reflected on the call of Jeremiah. At his call God asked the question of Jeremiah, “What do you see”? It seems an odd question to ask a prophet and his observations don’t immediately seem to have much relevance. Jeremiah sees an almond tree and a boiling pot tipping away from the North. Both observations come from the rural environment in which he was living. Good observations are a vital part of any attempt to address the situation in which we find ourselves.  If we don’t observe we will never learn what is going on in the area in which we live and work.  
So what do you see? As with Jeremiah what we see may not give us an obvious strategy or vision, but it is an essential part of being receptive.
 Peter and the congregations at Newbury and Thatcham are being encouraged to look with fresh eyes at their situation. We are in the process of doing the same, even though our vision may be clouded by uncertainty. Interpreting what we ‘see’ is an essential part of the process and we pray that out of our own rural setting we, like Jeremiah, will have the courage to interpret the mundane and the familiar and comprehend its message.
This collective discernment is part of the envisioning process we have already begun, so it is really encouraging that we can share the journey of discovery
Ann and Sandie created this model from pipe cleaners depicting a church where all are bound together in love and are reaching out to others. Picture Ed Wicke

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