Dear Friends,
I have returned this afternoon from the stillness and silence of a retreat at Lee Abbey at Lynton in North Devon. A house situated in the beauty of our countryside along with a coastline which looks across to Wales.
If we wished to attend there were talks under the heading of Voices of Hope in Troubled times. The very theme which seems to be spoken about in our readings this weekend. Paul was addressing the sufferings in his time and therefore shares many thoughts on Hope.
The voices of Hope given to illustrate hope in the life of a Christian were firstly St. Patrick, then St. Clare of Assisi. The last three were names I had not encountered previously, they were William J. Seymour, Frederich Buecher, and Phyllis Tickle. Patrick expressed the hope of suffering humanity, Clare the voice of contemplative love, William the voice of agape fire, Frederick the voice of the attentive heart, and Phyllis the voice of the prophetic historian. So those who are curious can see what the internet might further reveal for them.
The wonderful thing for me was these voices were the voices of ordinary men and women like you and me. God used these voices to enable others through their sharing of the love and joy of living in Christ. In our lives which are gift, God is present in every commonplace event, and leaves us to recognise his presence in all our fears.
The snowdrops and daffodils breaking into flower were signs of hope in the journey we now make from the crib to the cross.
In a later chapter in Romans Paul prays that the God of Hope will fill his fellow hearers with all joy and peace as they trust in him, so that they and we as followers of Our Lord may overflow with Hope by the Power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit whom Jesus promised his followers would be their power and strength on their journey of faith.
Yes we live in troubled times but may we find the power of the Holy Spirit leads and guides us.
In Christ
Daphne
Daphne Cook, LLM