April 2025
Dear All,
A grand total of NINE people correctly recited last month’s Memory Verse to
me and were rewarded with a sweetie from my perpetual pocket packet. Now,
that's not bad for a first time but I'm sure we can do better with this month’s -
here it is:
“Seek first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will
be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)
Those words come from a famous speech that Jesus made called the Sermon on
the Mount. (In this case “mount” means he was on a mountain, not on
horseback.) When he says “all these things” he's referring to some of the things
he's just been talking about - things that affect us all. Daily essentials like food
and clothes; natural concerns like our health; common anxieties like our
appearance and our reputation. It's normal and right that we should be
concerned about such things, but concern can easily become distorted into
over-anxiety and even obsession. In the Christian faith this time of the year is
called “Lent” and it's a good time to take an honest look at ourselves and ask
ourselves if we've got our priorities right. Are we applying the right amount of
practical and emotional effort in the right places? Those of us who are
Christians should remember the promise that Jesus made - that if we keep the
Kingdom of God as our primary goal, we’ll get on better in the other parts of
our lives as well.
“That's all very well, Vicar,” I hear you say (because I can read your minds,
you know), “But what does ‘the Kingdom of God’ actually mean?” Well, you'll
have to come to church to find out. In the meantime, I've refilled my pocket
with sweets - memorise the verse and claim yours.
With best wishes and prayers,
Richard
Rev Richard Horner
richardtherector@hotmail.com