Taking time out to pause

The last of the turkey curry has been eaten, and just a tiny bit of Christmas cake left (well in my house at least!)
Ven Fiona Windsor, Archdeacon of HorshamVen Fiona Windsor, Archdeacon of Horsham
Ven Fiona Windsor, Archdeacon of Horsham

My home looks very bare with the decorations back in the loft.

I wonder if you have made any new year’s resolutions? Getting fit? Working less? Partying more?

Or finding an opportunity to be quiet each day?

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Whatever it is, is often easy to come up with but very difficult to sustain.

January is an excellent time to be making resolutions as often it’s a time of calm.

The nights are dark and long but today I saw my first snowdrop which is a reminder of the hope of Spring.

Sometimes after such a festive and busy time people can find themselves fraught, over tired and under pressure. We can feel like we need another break just to recover.

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This year’s Chichester Diocese focus is the Year of Prayer. In our resolutions at the beginning of the year – even if you’ve never tried praying before, why not try taking a moment each day to be quiet?

At times it can be hard to be quiet with all the noise of phone notifications, traffic, chattering not to mention the tele and the washing machine!

If your head is spinning trying to remember everything, find an opportunity to be quiet and share your inner most thoughts with God. This pause can be very releasing and empowering.

You may say I’m no good at that but let me tell you that people have been struggling with this for centuries. You are not alone.

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As St Teresa of Avila, who was born in 1515, once said, “It’s not with many thoughts or words that he hears us [but] in the silence of our longing.”

I would like to offer you a prayer for the New Year:

“Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night: for the love of thy only Son, our Saviours, Jesus Christ. Amen”

Faith Matters News:

Year of Prayer – Resources on the Diocese Website

We are pleased to announce that resources for the Year of Prayer are now available on the Diocesan website and can be downloaded for local printing at the following address: http://www.chichester.anglican.org/yearofprayer

These resources include an Introduction to the Year of Prayer, an overview of the year and prayer cards in various sizes for use as individuals or church groups.

New Year – New start with the Bible?

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There are lots of ways to engage with God’s word and allow the relevance of the Bible to speak into 21st Century life. One way that’s proved very popular in recent years has been ‘Bible in One Year.’ Through the app, website and daily emails, you can read through the entire Bible and follow the comments from Nicky and Pippa Gumbel. It is available in many different languages and there is an audio version read by David Suchet. Find out more and see if it’s something for you in 2018 at www.bibleinoneyear.org

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