Having found myself with a spare half page to fill, what better way to do it than by wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year? And especially good wishes to Tony, Rachel and family as they move to a new home and new work in Bakewell after some 7 years of fruitful ministry on our group of parishes.
Every new year brings a bit of step into the unknown - and it will be especially true of this year as we explore the new relationships brought about by the Renewing Ministry initiative, of which much has been written in the past. But there is much going on in the world that is more important than MMA's and Church groupings.
Our thoughts will be turning, as they do each Christmas, to Bethlehem of today - at the heart of a region in which injustice and oppression, harassment and violent death are part of daily life.
The media tells us much about the people who wage war and plant the seeds of terror, but much less about those who work for peace and reconcilliation. They are largely unsung, but they are certainly active. Pray for them, and for ourselves, that we might find ways, however small, of being part of the movement that makes the peace and joy we sing about at Christmas a reality for the many whom it is at best a distant dream.
F.W.
