Losing family
I know what it feels like to lose family. I’m sure you do, too.
Loss is a difficult emotion to process, as it has several different stages. And, in this time on earth, when Covid has deprived many people of loved ones, there’s a lot of loss and sadness out there.
“I will not leave you…I will come to you”
John 14: 18
Jesus said this to His close friends, just before He gave up His life on earth on the cross. He knew that the loss of His physical presence would be hard for them, but His promise was amazing.
His real Presence would come to them again, just not in bodily form.
(Of course, after His resurrection they did see Him in His body again for a short while until He ascended to heaven. That was truly amazing!)
Being family
When I came into God’s family in 1990, I found a real relationship with God, my true Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit.
I also found countless members of God’s family! Whoever we have lost, God brings wonderful new family to us in different ways at different times.
Being together
The church has been through difficult times in the last few years with lockdowns and masks and not being able to meet easily.
But God’s family has remained intact. We have gathered on Zoom and Skype and all sorts of ways, when we couldn’t meet in person. His Presence has always come to us.
Yesterday, 7 of us met together again at our home to talk and laugh, enjoy a cuppa, eat cake* and pray! It was such a joy. It was family.
New wineskins
And no-one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.
Luke 5:37-38 NIVUK
A year ago I was thinking about what Jesus said – new wine is not put into old wineskins, because an old skin would crack and split. I had written and recorded a poem then. Yesterday I made it into a “podcast” and published it on Spotify! I’m experimenting with new things…here it is….
*Baking!
As we were together yesterday eating cake, someone mentioned that she used to have a bran loaf recipe but had lost it. I told her that I still have an old recipe! So here it is:
Bran Loaf 125g All-Bran 75g soft brown sugar 125g mixed dried fruit 300 ml milk 125g SR flour (I think you could add a bit more fruit..) Put first 4 ingredients in bowl and leave for at least an hour. Then mix in flour. Grease and line a 1lb loaf tin. Put mix in. Bake at 180C or 350F for about an hour. Fan ovens - probably 160C. (320F) Cool, slice and butter!
P.S
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The Bakery 