In Touch - June 2024

Dear friends,

We have just returned from the North of England visiting my cousins who are now in their 90s. They have been an important part of my life - not least because of their unfailing faith. Josie and Ivor have displayed the closest relationship with Christ that I have ever witnessed.
Now, their age has made them extremely frail and as we said goodbye we were wondering if - for Ivor especially - it might be for the last time. Josie shared with us a hymn which she wanted at her funeral - and quoted it immediately, word for word from her memory:

‘Jesus, the very thought of Thee
with sweetness fills my breast;
but sweeter far Thy face to see,
and in Thy presence rest.’
Bernard of Clairvaux, 1091-1153;
tr. by Edward Caswall, 1814-78 
(162 Christian Hymns)

You may be thinking that this is a little morbid for a church newsletter. But far from it, because they have taken to heart the scripture - 2 Corinthians 5 v6-8:

6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Our faith is going to turn to sight, and death is simply the beginning of that journey into the realm of sight. As Josie spoke to us it was so very clear that she is totally at peace.

Most of us have passages of scripture that are important for us, and I am convinced that the Spirit gives us particular passages throughout our lives to hold on to, to encourage or to bless. My favourite is most definitely the doxology at the end of Jude. Having written some difficult words in his book he ends with:

24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 To God our Saviour, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

It is a miracle that we will be ‘presented faultless’ - but what excites me is that Jude says ‘with exceeding joy’. If Jude were here in person I would ask him if it is the Lord rejoicing - or is it us. I think he would reply - ‘it's both!’. I think it's His joy to welcome me home, and my greatest joy to arrive safely.

My dear friends, none of us (young or old) knows what the future holds, where the next step is going to lead, where the next curve in the road will take us - but if I know my God as I ought to know him - I can meet every situation with doxology. It ends with that little word - Amen - so be it. I hope and pray that you too can reply - ‘Amen!’
​
Yours in Christ,
Paul