Hennie's monthly Blog for St. Mark's & the Lighthouse

Hi,

It is now 3 months since I came to Lache & Saltney as the new Vicar of St. Mark's Church and the Lighthouse Community Church. How time flies when you are enjoying yourself! Seriously, it has gone very fast as I have tried to find my way around a new church, a new parish, a new diocese, and a new City.

Firstly, I want to say a 'heart felt' thank you to the Parish and to members of St. Mark's and the Lighthouse for their very warm welcome, not only to me, but also my four legged friend Chanty, and for the support, encouragement, hospitality and prayer, that I have received from so many people - thank you.


Many continue to ask me if I am settling in, or have settled in, not only in the parish, but friends and family further afield. As I have reflected on the past 3 months, though inevitably a steep learning curve, I have felt very much at peace, and a real assureance that God has called me here to serve Him, and minister to those He has put, and will continue to put, in my charge. So yes I have settled in under the everlasting faithful hands of God - thank you Lord.

During these past three months I have had the privilege of visiting a number of the congregation as I strive to meet each family/person on the Electoral Roll within my first year. In our Sunday preaching we have been focussing on the Book of Acts in the morning, and the letter to the
Ephesians in the evening, as we come together to hear God's Word, and seek His will and way for the church in this new phase of her life.

I believe there are exciting times ahead and the Holy Spirit is on the move, longing to build on the excellent foundations that have already been built. When I arrived I said I was here to please God and not man, and that is because I believe He has so much more for His church - as Bill Hybels' has said, 'the local church is the hope of the world'. He has so much more for us if we only allow Him to have His church back, and as we give our lives fully to Him - loving God with everything we have, even as He loves us with everything He has.

As I prayed for St. Mark's and the Lighthouse in preparation of my ministry here, I felt God calling us to a deeper relationship with Him - deeper in our worship and discipleship - and further out in our witness and service. 'Deeper in and further out' - perhaps echoing C.S. Lewis' cry in 'The Last Battle', 'Don't stop! Further up and further in called Farsight... Jewel also cried out, Don't stop. Further up and further in!'

I think God has been speaking to us powerfully through our preaching series in both Acts and Ephesians about going 'deeper in and further out'. 'Deep calls out to deep in the roar of the overwhelming waterfalls' (Psalm 42: 7). We may long for more of God, but God has an even greater desire to give more of himself to us - for he has so much more for us. His unconditional love is what he has so much more to give us.

Paul said to the young Christians in Ephesus, 'Stand firm and be deeply rooted in his love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. (Ephesians 3: v 17b-to the end).

Amen and God bless

Hennie