This third week in January may be described by psychologists as the lowest time of the year, but Jesus might have us view it differently:

“Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24).

Winter may look and feel ‘death’-like, but it’s the season when new life can be bubbling up underneath the surface. So, just as the ‘Rambling Rector’ climbing-rose by the Rectory’s front door needs its January cut-back in order to produce its May-time blooms, we too may need this often-difficult season to do some more growing.

So can I encourage you to spend some time this week in a quieter place—giving space and time to review and ‘prune back’ and then to pray and plan a bit better for the future?

It’s been good to chat with several of you along these lines in response to my New Year letter, and it may be that others will find it helpful to use that too. If so, do please drop your Response Form back into the Parish Office for my attention ASAP (preferred deadline is now Friday 17^th).

And already—as we look back on our two opening Sundays of the year—there are many signs of ‘life bubbling up’ amongst us: no less than 11 children came into St Swithun’s from the Ark on Sunday; and, the week before, all those at Café Church produced a colourful ‘Wall of Worship’ with Bible verses and ideas for ‘Church Alive in ’25’.

Let’s indeed be praying that, just as Jesus himself emerged from the tomb as the Lord of life, so we as his Church may emerge from this winter season full of new life and energy.

With love and prayers

Revd Peter