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The Vicarage, Church Lane, Marshfield
Dear Friends,
If God wanted us to be brave, why did he give us legs? (Marvin Kitman)
The month of November begins with a Christian festival which is usually
overlooked – All Saints Day. Overshadowed by the secular celebrations of
Halloween we tend to let All Saints slip by unnoticed. But this feast
actually reminds us of the great truth, which many Christians forget –
that we are all saints! In the society we live in there is an increasing
need for people who will stand up for truth, who will confront the
immorality and injustice of our world and proclaim that Jesus Christ is
God’s Son. All Saint’s Day comes the day after ‘All Hallows Eve’ because
it reminds us that we, the people of God, will ultimately be victorious
over evil and wickedness. The problem is that actually we’re not very
brave and lack the courage to stand up for what we believe in. Hence the
quote from Kitman above.
Courage is being scared to death … and saddling up anyway
(John Wayne)
Christian courage is based upon a simple promise – that God is with us
always (see Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 118:6 and Matthew 28:20 for
examples). For if the Lord God Almighty is with us, who can prevail
against us? Answer – no one! St Paul often uses the imagery of armour
and weapons to describe the Christian life:
Put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light (Romans
13:12)
The weapons we fight with … have divine power … (2 Corinthians 10:4)
Put on the full armour of God … breastplate of righteousness … shield of
faith … helmet of salvation … sword of the Spirit … (Ephesians 6:13-17)
To often Christians are seen to be people called to humility, meekness
and passivity. But that’s not how the men and women of God behave in the
bible – they were bold, confrontational and active in their fulfilment
of the will of God. Where then today are the bold Christians? People who
are willing to speak out against injustice and immorality. People who
are willing to get their hands dirty working with the poor and desolate
of society. People who are prepared to confront darkness with light,
evil with good, death with life, and oppression with freedom. People who
are willing to stand up and be counted for Christ.
These are the saints of God. These people are you and I! We have the
armour of light, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the
sword of the Spirit. We have divine power to make a difference in our
world for God. The only thing we lack is the courage to step out. So how
about it – are you ready to wield the sword of the Spirit in the name of
Jesus Christ?
If God wanted to make us brave, why did he give us legs?
So that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your
ground! (Ephesians 6:13)
Yours in Christ,
Simon Drew
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For further details
about, baptisms, Weddings etc. please do not hesitate to contact the Revd
Simon Drew, The Vicarage, Church Lane, Marshfield (Tel: 01225 891850).
Please note that the Vicar’s day off is Friday.
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MARSHFIELD
BENEFICE
