The Bishop's Letter: July
Last Updated on Tuesday, 12 July 2011 17:19
Bishop Steven writes:
The Cracked Pond
We’ve had 17 very large fish living in our garage for the last two months. They normally live in the large pond in our garden. Last year the pond began to leak quite badly so it’s undergoing extensive repairs. So the fish have had to move temporarily into a large paddling pool in the garage. You might say it’s been a large scale operation.
When we drained the pond, it was easy to see why it was losing water. The old concrete was laid back in the 1940’s. It is now cracked in split in several places by tree roots.
The cracked, empty pond isn’t very beautiful to look at. But it’s an excellent visual aid for me as the Church looks forward to Pentecost and as we prepare for our second Ten Days of Prayer as a Diocese.
Paul writes to the Ephesians: “Do not keep on getting drunk with wine, but keep on being filled up with the Spirit” (my translation). The apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost but that was not a once and for all event. As we read on in Acts, we see that again and again, the Spirit visits them and fills them up and empowers them for God’s mission.
An old friend of mine, Bishop Richard Hare, used to say (often): “The reason I need to go on being filled with the Spirit is because I leak”. I need to remember especially at this time of the year that my Christian life, at its best, is like a cracked and leaky pond. I need to come back to God, time after time, to be filled and refreshed and renewed and empowered again by the grace and love of the Holy Spirit, poured out so freely.
Last year we had an amazing Ten Days of Prayer as a Diocese. Thousands of people came and joined in. There have been many, many answers to our prayers over the last year.
Please join us in the Ten Days of Prayer this year from Ascension to Pentecost (2nd to 12th June). Pray that God will pour out his Holy Spirit and fill these cracked ponds to overflowing again with his love and life and grace. Pray that the Spirit, the water of life will flow to bring blessing and healing to our communities. Pray that times of refreshing will come from the Lord (Acts 3.19).
+Steven
PS. Come and see the fish back in their own home at the Bishopscroft Garden Open Day on Sunday 19th June.......
