NEWSLETTER

January 2002 From the Revd. Nansi Davies, Curate. Dear Friends, A Happy New Year to you all. It is certainly my hope and prayer that this year will bring peace to all those places of conflict and that the hungry will be fed. At the start of last year most of us held great optimism in our hearts that the beginning of a new Millennium would strengthen the resolve of human beings to strive for peace and justice for all citizens of this wounded world. The troubles that again beset us in so many and often horrific ways were evidence of our frailty and my belief is that without our Christian faith so the world will continue to serve its citizens with grief and injustice. Those of us who profess the Christian faith will be strengthened in our faith by recollecting one of those carols we have recently been singing. "The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight." This is at the heart of our Christian faith, this is the reason we celebrate Christmas. We continue to celebrate the tremendous truth of God's coming in Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. In contrast to all other faiths, Christianity is unique in its claim that God has fully and completely revealed Himself in His Son Jesus Christ. All time and the passing of centuries as well as eternity are in Him. It is with assurance of faith that we can face the allure, with all its possibilities, all its expectations and all its unknowns. There is that other well-known carol with these wonderful words: "For the days are hastening on By prophet bards foretold When with the ever circling years Comes round the age of gold." Let us all work together towards that new dawn, be it caring for a neighbour, giving generously to help those in need either here in our own parishes, or across the world, and supporting each other by sharing friendship. With every good wish for this year Nansi Davies Curate.