St Johns with St Barnabas

November is a time for double looking. The events of this month inevitably lead us to a reflective looking back and a hope-filled looking forward. Looking back in faith and forward in hope is a common theme in the Bible. The psalmists frequently adopted this pattern of looking, even in the midst of despair. In Psalm 77 we read this desperation, “I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord …”. Despair is redirected as the psalmist remembers the work of the Lord; “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes I will remember your miracles of long ago”. This enables a looking forward in trust and hope, “Your ways, O God, are holy. What God is so great as our God?’’ Looking back, looking forward - it all begins in November.

 

On 2nd November, the fourth Sunday before Advent, we will be holding a special service at 3 pm at St. Barnabas. It will be a service enabling us to look back on loss, whether that’s the loss of a loved one or losses of a different nature, like a job, seeing family or sharing company with others. There will be a chance to light candles, to reflect on those losses, and to look forward together in hope.

 

On Sunday 9th November we will share in our annual Remembrance services. Again, this is an important looking back and remembering. As we remember the sacrifices of those who have lost lives in war both historically and more recently, our aspiration to turn despair into hope arises. This happens as our remembering in gratitude encourages us to pray for peace in our world; to look to Jesus and His sacrifice for us; and to look forward to that day when all history is brought to fruition when “They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more.” (Isaiah 2 v 4).

 

Then we begin to prepare for Advent, that time of looking back in faith to what God has done in and through the first coming of Jesus. We also look forward, in hope, to what He will do in and through Jesus when He returns. It is both a time of remembering and a time of preparing.

 

We then come through Advent to the immense season of Christmas. This encourages us to look back and celebrate that momentous time in salvation history where God becomes man and dwells among us (John 1 v 14) in order that He can reconcile us to Himself. Christmas helps us to look back on the most extraordinary rescue. That rescue comes to fruition at Easter, but we look forward from the perspective of Christmas. We look back with thanksgiving to look forward with hope. Watch this space for details of our Christmas services.

 

There is so much for us, as a church, to look back on. We can look back on the things that the Lord has done in our midst through the hard times and the good. There is so much for us as a church to look forward to, with hope and trust.