Dear friends,
May has always been one of my favourite months. When I was living on the West Coast of Scotland it was always the sunniest time of the year – the children could play out, the garden would be growing abundantly and there would be a calm in the air as life continued quietly on. May remains a month when we emerge more often out of our houses, we lift our heads in anticipation of the summer and begin to connect once again with each other after the winter months. And of course, for us in 2022, after the past two years, this time feels even more special and precious.
And this May will provide us with some lovely occasions to connect with one another again. On May 7th we will have a Day of Discovery in the Trinity Centre – and I would encourage as many of you as possible to come. Our faith community has expanded quite considerably during the last couple of years and although we might recognise and greet each other it will be really good to be able to spend some time listening to each other’s stories and getting to know each other a little better. We will also be wearing our name badges in church for four weeks following this day so we can learn some extra names.
The month also gives us opportunities to connect with our fellow Christians with the joint Christian Aid service in St Mary’s Parish Church at 11am on May 15th. Our service in Holy Trinity will be earlier on that day (9:45).
And of course our hearts can’t help but still be with the people of the Ukraine and the suffering they are experiencing. We cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like. As we continue to pray for them let us
also remember the other conflicts which continue in this world and the suffering which is experienced day by day: Afghanistan, Myanmar, the Yemen and Syria. All these people are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
But sadly we don’t have to go very far to connect with people who are finding life tough. East Lothian Foodbank has reported a 104% rise in referrals in comparison to this time last year. 23% of children in East Lothian are now living below the poverty line. In March 1068 people were fed from the Foodbank, 430 of those being children. These statistics are shocking. If you would like to help we will re-establish the box in the vestibule to collect and give food to the Foodbank.
So May looks like a month of reconnection and of being together. In our liturgy we will be hearing readings from the Book of Acts where the early church lived in community and had ‘all things in common’. Paul in his letters urges his communities to ‘put on Christ’ and live in harmony and love. Jesus says, “I am the vine and you are the branches’ … encouraging us to live in Him and support one another. In our faith we know that it is only together that we bear fruit … with God and with each other.
Enjoy this month! Enjoy each other!
with love, Liz
