FRIEND FOREVER

Good Morning!

I wonder how many of you are marking the Lenten Season?

A number of people in College have given up various things, the usual suspects like chocolate and puddings others have started new things! yes, new things, some weird and others not so weird.

Anyway, last night as I sat at my computer working, I started to think about what Lent and the whole Easter season meant to me? I am a very complex human whose thought pattern can be extremely convoluted but for some reason last night my thinking was as clear and refreshing as fresh coconut juice drunk straight from the coconut itself under the hot African sun, with the breeze tickling your skin aaaahhhhh, utter bliss. (sorry, I'm suffering terribly from homesickness). If you've never seen a coconut with its juice, feast your eyes on this beauty....

As I munched on the whole idea of Lent and Easter, I came to rest on one thing - friendship. Yes, friendship.
Now, I don't know what you are like with your friends but I am certainly not the easiest person to be friends with. But for some reason my friends don't leave me and I seem to make new ones even when I am not trying. The strangest thing about it all is that I am not particularly chatty or trendy or fun.

As I write, I am thinking about two of my freakiest friends - a Yorkshire man called Twist 4 Eyes and the other is called China, she's from China.

I disagree on matters of food with my Yorkshire friend - He likes pork pies(yuck!) and I prefer scotch eggs. He swears by marmite(disgusting!!!) and Henderson's Relish but I delight in Robertson's marmalade and hot chili sauces. I bet you all agree with me. don't you?

I have battles with Miss China about clothing. She likes pinks and purples I dwell in blacks and blacks.
She waves skirts under my nose but I think trousers are one of the best things ever made. what do you say to this?

Now, why do Lent and Easter make me think about friendship? I think that the greatest story ever told about friendship is that of Jesus - greater love had no one than He who gave His life for His friends. Jesus came into this world, lived and died and rose again for everyone who had and would ever live in this universe. All because God loves us and wants everyone to know His love.

Have you ever heard this song? - What a friend I've found
closer than a brother...
Jesus, Jesus, friend forever...


The friendship Jesus showed whilst on earth and the friendship He offers now is the best thing ever. This is because we can know that if He loved us enough to die for us then He really loves us. Nothing we can do or not do can change that. I feel so rotten when I start to think of the many, many, many, many times when I have ignored Jesus and not appreciated His friendship and amazing love.

This Lent and Easter season take time to think about Jesus' offer of friendship for now and all eternity, yes, all eternity... He will always be there for you and me.

I had another thought last night maybe this Lent and Easter season, you and I could start a 'friends appreciation' time. What do you say?

God bless you all


ps. you can meet Miss China and Mr. Twist 4 Eyes, when you come to Festival.

Your favourite film?

Yesterday I went to the cinema to see ‘Music and Lyrics’. Has anybody seen it yet? I thought it was going to be very girly, but it was in fact very funny. It made me think about past and present.

The main character (Alex Fletcher) had been in a band in the 80’s, and now he didn’t know what to do with himself. He had lost hope in the fact that he could write for the people of today. Instead, he continued to live in the past, by playing and singing in reunion parties…..

Sophie helped him to move away from the past and look forward to the future.

As I was watching the film, I started thinking...

Do I live in the past or do I look forward to the future?

How has my past shaped the way that I live my life today?

What is my vision for the future?

What about our churches? Do they relate to the people of today, or do they live in the past days and experiences?

It is good to ask ourselves these questions, and to learn to trust God with the now and the future.


So then, what is it that you hold dear of the past and what is it that you are hoping for the future?

(Apart from chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate!)