Covid-19 

Dear Friends
Time is certainly moving on and we will soon be in March. The sun has been shining this week and Spring will soon be with us. At last we have the “roadmap” for the future in terms of Coronavirus and a plan for a gradual reintroduction of social gatherings that will allow us all over the next few weeks to start to meet with family and friends. It is important that this plan is enacted slowly so that we can carefully monitor the impact on the transmission of new infections and ensure we can all stay safe, but the plan provides us with hope for the future and a timeline of a phased return towards normal. We continue to think of all those who remain in hospital and those unwell with Coronavirus and their family and friends. Sadly many families have suffered the loss of a loved one during this time and we hold them all in our thoughts and prayers.
During the week at our Church Council we reflected on the new national Coronavirus guidance and have decided that our Church building will remain closed for now but that we will review this again in April. We hope and pray that over the coming months we will be able to again open Church for worship and events but want to do so safely recognising the vulnerability of some of our congregation.
Please continue to pray this week for Kevin and his family as they prepare for the funeral of their mum Val.
Please also continue to pray for Pat who remains comfortable in the Douglas McMillan Hospice. She is very grateful for your messages, thoughts and prayers and wishes to send her love to all her Church friends throughout the Circuit.
Next Saturday (6 March) at 10.30am you are warmly invited to a Fairtrade virtual Coffee Morning. Please sit and join in the comfort of your own home with your Fairtrade tea/coffee and enjoying either Fairtrade biscuits and/or chocolate. Many supermarkets sell Fairtrade products including KitKats which are coated in Fairtrade chocolate ! You will also have the opportunity to join in a light-hearted and informative quiz and to hear important information on climate change.
The link for the Coffee Morning on Zoom is  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4775422768
or just click here.
If you wish you can instead join by telephone using 02034815237 followed by Meeting ID 4775422768#
 
Our bible reading this week continues our Lent journey and is Mark Chapter 8 v31-48. In this reading Jesus speaks openly about the Son of Man undergoing great suffering  and rejection before being killed and after three days rising again.
Peter challenges Jesus for saying such things openly and Jesus rebukes him saying “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things” Jesus also speaks to the crowd and his disciples about the importance of discipleship saying “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me”. He concludes this discussion saying “Those who are ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels”
In this reading Jesus speaks to all those present, his words are not just for the benefit of Peter or for the disciples but for all who have a personal desire to call themselves disciples of Christ. He warns everyone about the cost of being a follower of Jesus as well as the high cost of continuing on a personal and self-directed journey. He speaks about the need to deny or renounce oneself, to repent and change your path, this is not just turning away from temptation or sin but turning towards Christ. This means ceasing making ourselves the focus of life and replacing this with Christ as the focus by embracing God and following his teaching. Jesus also reminded them to take up a cross, here he is not talking about the symbol of the Cross but about death. This means we should strive for peace and is a reminder that at times Christians would be despised by others or treated with animosity. The cross was a symbol of shame where condemned were hung to die, beaten, broken and often naked a symbol that would oppose the power of Rome. In that time as now, many Christians would be persecuted for their faith. Here we are reminded that we need to profess our faith even if this is difficult or we face discomfort or ridicule. It is a powerful example that we should never be ashamed to be Christians and to stand firm to our faith and values even in difficult and challenging times.
In the reading, Peter and Jesus have a heated exchange of words . Peter had spent many months following Jesus and learning of the strength and scale of his ministry.  Peter wanted to hear of the future but instead he is warned of death and reminded of vulnerability. It is likely he was frightened and alarmed and perhaps felt let down. On this basis he challenges Jesus. Up to that point he had walked closely with Jesus and seen the wonders of his ministry and had formed a close bond and friendship. But the words from Jesus now change this, Peter now faces the cold, stark reality of the pain of discipleship and the agony of realising that if truly wants to follow Jesus, he can’t have it all on his own terms.
The  words of Jesus contained hope for the disciples that although Jesus would be killed, he would rise again and that those who lose their lives for Jesus’ sake and the sake of the gospel will save it. The disciples may not have recognised this hope and would not have known that these promises of Jesus would come true. As a disciple or follower of Christ we have to recognise that is not always easy. It requires effort and determination to follow Christ and this requires self-control and obedience. Followers of Christ may suffer short term pain and rejection and sadly in some parts of the World death – but the reward is eternal life and the glory of his kingdom.
 
You can join with friends from the Church and Circuit by joining the weekly Zoom Service at 11.30am each Sunday morning (by either computer or telephone) using the links below.
 Topic: Sunday Service 11.30am
Time: This is a recurring meeting
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4775422768
Meeting ID: 477 542 2768 (No password is required)
or just click here.
Dial by your location
0203 481 5237
0203 481 5240
0203 901 7895
0131 460 1196
0203 051 2874
Meeting ID: 477 542 2768
We also have a telephone service each week using WhyPay at 10.00am on Sunday morning.
If you wish to join this the number is 0333 0110 946 and the Room Number is 47927697# and the Pin is 1145#
Please do continue if you are able to pray at 6.00pm each evening and join with others from our Church so that we can unite in the power of prayer.
Please also pray for those on our prayer list.  
Ashley, Debbie and family
Stuart and Sylvia
Frank
Ralph
Joyce
Beryl
Karen
Paul, Moira and family
Ken and Pat
Chris and Dianne
Malcolm, Anne and family
Arthur
Eileen and Carl
Rev Alex
Don
Margaret B
Alan
Doreen
Jean
Beaulah
Alan and Heather
Linda and family
Carol, Dave and Logan
Janet, Steve and family
Les, Olga and family
Roy and Thelma
Charles
You can find reflections and biblical stories on our Circuit YouTube channel including new material added weekly from Rev Linda, Rev Jeff and others at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBhbVptj0forVkUfmmsvd_w
or just click here.
Please continue to stay safe and know that you are surrounded by the love and prayers of your Church family.
With every blessing
Ian