Darrell and Lucy Holmes with Jessie and Jed
Pastor’s Patch
Our Pastor is Rev. Darrell Holmes. He trained for the ministry at London Bible College (Now called the London School of Theology). Darrell is married to Lucy with two children, Jed and Jessie.
Here is Darrell’s message for this month -
This week I gathered with other parents in the Village Hall car park as a group of school children left for their 3 day residential course. Our son Jed, aged nine, was going on his first trip away from home without us. Undoubtedly there were other children making this momentous first step too. Consequently, there were more than a few damp eyes among the parents, who will remain anonymous to protect their identity, suffice to say that I had to lend a hanky to my wife!
We were saying goodbye, and though there was sadness that our children were growing up, there was perhaps also a sense of pride and accomplishment that they were ready to go, that they are maturing and developing before our eyes.
Saying goodbye can always be a bittersweet moment for that reason. Farewells to guests after Christmas, funerals and packing children off to university may all be bittersweet times.
At our January church meeting we reflected on 2009 by producing a written annual report saying, in effect, goodbye to the year. There were a number of bittersweet moments recorded in the pages of that report. The fire, the loss of things and of some members and friends, the continuation of activities and even the commencement of new activities and arrival of new friends. In a year of the “credit crunch” when many charities and organisations have been closing down or feeling the pinch, it was gratifying to note that our giving had actually increased by about 2%, even if it was not as much as we had budgeted for. Nothing has been standing still and the bittersweet facts faced us all.
Our faith in Jesus is also “bittersweet”. We may recognise his presence with us in the highs and lows of life and actually come to appreciate both those extremes. Look in the book of Revelation and you will see the writer John, is instructed to eat the word of God. He noted It tastes sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. (Revelation ch 10 v10)
If we are to be a prophetic fellowship in our community, we will need to embrace the bittersweet nature of life, of the word of God, of our walk with the Lord, and see that all these apparent contradictions can only ever make sense in the light of the example of Jesus.
Pastor Darrell
We were saying goodbye, and though there was sadness that our children were growing up, there was perhaps also a sense of pride and accomplishment that they were ready to go, that they are maturing and developing before our eyes.
Saying goodbye can always be a bittersweet moment for that reason. Farewells to guests after Christmas, funerals and packing children off to university may all be bittersweet times.
At our January church meeting we reflected on 2009 by producing a written annual report saying, in effect, goodbye to the year. There were a number of bittersweet moments recorded in the pages of that report. The fire, the loss of things and of some members and friends, the continuation of activities and even the commencement of new activities and arrival of new friends. In a year of the “credit crunch” when many charities and organisations have been closing down or feeling the pinch, it was gratifying to note that our giving had actually increased by about 2%, even if it was not as much as we had budgeted for. Nothing has been standing still and the bittersweet facts faced us all.
Our faith in Jesus is also “bittersweet”. We may recognise his presence with us in the highs and lows of life and actually come to appreciate both those extremes. Look in the book of Revelation and you will see the writer John, is instructed to eat the word of God. He noted It tastes sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. (Revelation ch 10 v10)
If we are to be a prophetic fellowship in our community, we will need to embrace the bittersweet nature of life, of the word of God, of our walk with the Lord, and see that all these apparent contradictions can only ever make sense in the light of the example of Jesus.
Pastor Darrell
