Dear Friends,

I’m writing this at the Hay Festival, sitting outside my tent. It’s only 9am but the sun is already beating down, and the campsite is a hive of activity with people wandering back and forth, swapping stories of yesterday, comparing notes on what they’re doing today, and generally enjoying the luxury of breakfast outside without the usual rush to be somewhere else. In the time it’s taken to write this paragraph six people have said ‘Good morning’ as they passed my little tent.

Community, whether it’s transient (like the campsite here at Hay) or something more long term, is vital to our wellbeing. Although Jesus did take time to retreat to quiet places by himself, he spent most of his time among existing friends or making new ones. Often quietly and without ceremony he built relationships and networks that changed lives and brought challenge and great joy to those he met.

It’s Monday 25th May right now, and the day after our Pentecost and Membership Service. What an experience that was! Yes, we welcomed six new Members to our community – which is awesome – we sang their favourite hymns(!) heard some of their story and perhaps even shed a happy tear (or two). However, we also did something else. We made a promise to uphold the life of the church and to support one another as we journey forward with God. We may not be sure what that journey will look like – neither did the disciples at Pentecost – but if we follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and continue to speak of God in a language people can understand, we can be sure we’re going in the right direction. 

Love and blessings,

Laura