Spirit of Hope

The organ playing seemed to go ok last week. I managed not to make too many obvious mistakes, and people were very complimentary. I enjoyed it: so maybe I could maintain a certain level of competence to retirement.

Last Wednesday, I completed two more 'Wainwrights': Lord's Seat and Barf. Both gave spectacular 360 degree views at the top, and I particularly enjoyed Barf, as it overlooks the A66, which we travel often.  Looking down over it, and Lake Bassenthwaite beyond, was a marvellous experience. On the walk back, through Whinlatter Forest, I spotted a rainbow over the lake, which made my joy complete.

This week has been rather taken over by funerals: 8 in all! Although I only had a hand in 5 of them, they all needed to be organised and logged. The most moving was that of a 32 year old mother of 5, all under 12, whose death from lung cancer affected countless people. She belonged to Kings Church in Cockermouth, and the radiance of her faith had completely transformed her suffering so that her funeral (attended by 100s) was a wonderful witness to the love and mercy of God, with Jesus as her (and our) Good Shepherd.

Tomorrow's theme is Spirit of Hope, this time looking beyond death to the life to come. Our focus is on the book of Revelation, which our author invites us to consider not as a 'roadmap to the future' (i.e. to be taken literally), but rather as 'literature of the oppressed', for it is written for Christians at a time of intense persecution. It is a message of hope, intended to lift them above the fear and terror of their times to a new world which God is creating, where all things are made new. Thus, the key word at the end of the book is not 'wait' or 'not yet' but simply 'come'. For God wants us to be part of the new world which is being made even as we suffer and struggle with this earthly life.