Still at it

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31.8

A few of us are going into our local primary school this morning to discuss how we can continue to rebuild our links which came to an abrupt halt with the recent pandemic. Over the ensuing months progress has been made but, as we all know, life has changed and "building back better" has been a more elusive goal than many anticipated. Some are still suffering the after-effects of a debilitating illness, others simply got out of former habits and struggle to summon the energy to resume what they did before.

Of course "building back better" is about more than returning to what used to happen. It must include an element of improvement, otherwise it's not better . So, alongside resuming the church's contribution to school assemblies and welcoming the school back into the church more regularly for special occasions, we shall propose establishing a Scripture Union group. That is a significant commitment and it goes against the grain of society which is increasingly hostile to Christian doctrine.

We are emboldened by God's promise never to leave or forsake his people and we appreciate the prayers of fellow believers because we know this is how the Holy Spirit works. May the Lord go before all who reach out in his name. Melt the strongholds of resistance and let truth prevail. Keep your people safe in our integrity and humble in our self-awareness. Equip us for every eventuality and provide the words and deeds which are appropriate to the occasion...