Moments of Grace

Moments of grace – those times when there is a sensing of God’s presence among us – come at unexpected times.

Two such moments dawned on me during the service last Sunday.

The first was at the presentation of shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. As members of the church family made their way up the aisle smiling and carrying a box it felt as if a wave of love and compassion was gently flowing through us.

The second moment came during the intercessions, led last Sunday by members of Junior Church. One of the youngsters stumbled over a word. He bravely battled on and eventually got it right, to be rewarded by a spontaneous round of applause by a grateful congregation. Clapping during prayers! Why not – we are meant to be a fellowship of encouragement and that’s exactly what was going on. I felt it was a touching moment.I do thank God for moments like these – especially in the context of worship. I think they gladden our hearts – and I dare to believe they make God smile too.

This weekend we look forward to the evening service and hearing from Chris, Roger and Joshua about their summer expedition with Mission Direct in Uganda.

With best wishes,

Ian