Richard's Reflections (January 2026)

A very Happy New Year to you all! 

The New Year gives us an opportunity to both look back and look forward

We can look back at all that has happened in 2025 - and no doubt for all of us there have been both joys and sorrows. Some have experienced loss in the past year, and we continue to pray God’s blessing upon you. Some have had health issues, and we pray that God’s healing hand will be upon you. And some have experienced great joy, maybe in our family or personal life. And we are grateful to God for that. 

As a church God has been very good to us. As I have said many times, his presence has been with us, we have felt that. There have been so many expressions of love and kindness shown, and that comes from God’s goodness too. We have been able to do a number of different things over the year, including new initiatives such as the Coffee Mornings, which are being well appreciated.

Looking ahead, there may be things for you that are difficult. We pray that you will know God being with you in a very real way to take you through. None of us knows for certain what will happen, and we all need to know God leading us in our lives from day to day.

Which brings me to our verse for the year, written by the Apostle Paul to the church at Ephesus:

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Ephesians 1 v 17 (NIV)

Over the course of the year we will be looking together at exactly what that means for our lives, and at our service on Sunday 11th January, I will, God willing, be preaching on that verse.

But for now, focus upon the last phrase of the verse “so that you may know him better.” I want to suggest that this should be the top priority for all of our lives. And it certainly is to be number 1 for us as a church. So I want to encourage you to avail of every opportunity to do it. Please keep coming on Sunday, as we worship God and hear his word we get to know him better. Come along to Bible Studies and Home Groups, we get to know him better there too. And pray - we will be thinking a lot about prayer and how we can engage more fully in it over the coming 12 months. I pray that these words written by Graham Kendrick will be true for all of us:

Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you,

There is no greater thing.

You’re my all, you’re the best,

You’re my joy and righteousness,

And I love you Lord

Graham Kendrick

© Makeway Music

Love in Jesus,     Richard