Sharing some thoughts

I know a number of people from the church are keen walkers, and some of you will have climbed high mountains. I'm not such a great walker but have been up some mountains, mountains where there is a convenient cable car to save the walk ! It's not that I like cable cars - I really don't, but they're worth it for the view you can often get on the mountain top. In Scotland recently we went partly up Ben Nevis. On the ground the view was a bit dull with the view obscured by buildings and trees, but further up the view was tremendous as you could see for miles around. It is the sort of transformation you can see when you light a sparkler - unlit it just looks like a dull piece of metal, but when it's lit it gives off tremendous sparkling light. The view from the mountain top is always there, just as the potential for light from the sparkler is also there, and today we are thinking about the light of Jesus - a light that is always there but a light that some choos...

May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight now and for evermore O Lord our strength and our redeemer. AMEN Today we are using the readings for the Feast of Candlemas or the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. At one time it was a hugely important festival but it’s importance now in this country at least seems to have diminished a bit. It has become associated with rhymes such as, “If Candlemas day be sunny and bright, winter again will show its might… If Candlemas day be cloudy and grey, Winter soon will pass away.” But the importance of candlemas is certainly not restricted to superstitious rhymes about the weather, or to pagan festivals often associated with it. It falls 40 days after Christmas and the Christian celebration can be traced back some 1500 years. The message of Candlemas remains tremendously important. For some countries Christmas decorations are left up until candlemas as a kind of reminder that whilst the Christmas...