February 2010 Minister's Message

 Created on Monday, 01 February 2010 11:23

Dear Friends,

So 2010 is well and truly underway - a new decade, we have said farewell to the 'noughties'. I am really thankful for all the good things that happened here at Cornerstone at Christmas and New Year - it was really exciting. I write this letter on, what the media tell us is, 'blue Monday' a day when many feel blue with failed New Year resolutions, credit card bills arriving, relationships failing which have been kept together for Christmas. And this year our TV screens are full of such terrible images of the earthquake in Haiti.

And yet in the last couple of months I believe that God has been reminding us that despite all our weaknesses and failures he loves us and wants us to grow deeper in our relationship with him. He also seems to have been drawing us to prayer - there are so many opportunities to pray as individuals or together at our meetings and last night we held a prayer service at which we spent time listening as well as praying for the needs around us. In the buzz of activity it is so easy to neglect prayer or to feel that we don't know how to pray. It can also be difficult when we see such pain in the world and in the lives of some nearer to home. But be encouraged! Richard Foster in his book 'Prayer' writes "Countless people, you see, pray far more than they know." Often they have such a 'stained glass' image of prayer they fail to recognize what they are experiencing as prayer and so condemn themselves for not praying. I find that it is possible to seek God when you are in all sorts of strange and interesting places.

I have a feeling that 2010 is going to be a really exciting year but a year when we need to continue to pray and spend time with God. Maybe you can encourage someone in this area or maybe there is someone else that you could get together with to pray. It may be also that those amongst us who have recently found new faith in Jesus Christ will also find a friend who will encourage and nurture them in their faith. If you are in need of encouragement, prayer or someone to chat to then please ask. May God bless you through this coming month

Yours in Christ
Eddie