Dear Friends.
What a privilege it was in Holy Trinity last Sunday for us to welcome two Ukrainian families to our fellowship. One family had been here for a little while, and the other, who were relatives of theirs, had very recently arrived, having travelled for eight days to get here. Their presence spoke to us as no words ever could, of the terrible things that are happening to our sisters and brothers in Ukraine, and it was a joy to see the love with which they were immediately surrounded by the folk who had come to worship. The children were pale and shocked, and although they spoke no English it was lovely to see the young teenage boy eventually smile, and an even younger girl sit down and play the piano. I do hope we were able to help them in practical and spiritual ways and that they will be able to come back to share with us in worship again.
But our Ukrainian friends did not come empty-handed. Being Orthodox Christians, last Sunday was for them Easter Day, and despite all the privations they had suffered, they brought with them a traditional Ukrainian Easter Cake to share with us. It was delicious, but even more importantly, it underlined all that all Christians are called to share in faith and love.
But there is one more important thing that happened last Sunday. I had written the service long before I could possibly have known that our friends from Ukraine were coming to be with us. As you will know, it contained several references to what is happening in Ukraine at present, as well as underlining the urgency of not only praying for all those involved in this terrible war, but also doing what we can in practical terms to help them. By the inspiration and the power of the Holy Spirit the words that I had written became so much more personal because our friends were there.
In the service I also spoke about the disciples meeting the risen Christ and not recognising him, and about our call as his people, to recognise and serve Christ in those around us. I don’t think anyone would argue with the fact that the post-pandemic world situation has made life very difficult for so many people who for whatever reason find it hard to move forward. So, whether it is in showing our friends from Ukraine that they are loved or spending our time with our next-door neighbour to help them to move forward, let us do what we can in Christ’s name to serve him in those around us.
With love and blessings,
Marion
Categories: Minister's Blog