Life was revealed
Dear Friends
Greetings in the name of Christ the Lord, who is journeying with us.
Days have been flowing like the way which is acceptable or unacceptable for the past ¾ quarters of our lives this year. I am pleased to thank God for His guidance from the beginning of this Pandemic to fulfil a strategy to be united through our worship and daily Evening Prayers from wherever we are in this strange situation. The focus was to walk with the Lord and to carry His living word daily in our hearts and minds. That’s why by His grace we have been successful in reading the living word daily nearly for the past 7 months. Prayer and Bible reading are the essential to develop our faith and show the care and concern to people. This month, we especially pray for the Government and the strategy to reduce the spread of this COVID 19 through all their measures particularly with Lockdown for 4 weeks. Please continue our daily Bible study and prayers and safeguard ourselves spiritually and physically.
The Church liturgical Calendar paved the way for us to enter into this month by celebrating All Saints Day on 1st Nov and All Souls Day on 2nd Nov. These days give life, when we focus our life with the word of God and reflecting on the life stories of Saints and the Souls departed.
In one of the Churches, the All Souls Day was celebrated on 2nd November with the prayers for those who have departed this year. People were asked to write the names of those whom they knew and the Priest left all the names in front of the altar. Then people were asked to light the candles to pray for them. It looks so many of them died during this Pandemic.
On that day a priest met a person in the street. The person said,” I am confused, I have sleepless nights because those whom I know are dying”. The Priest comforted him and then took him inside the Church Altar to remember them and to pray. When he saw the list of the number of people have died, he also lit a candle and prayed for those whom he mourned. He said, ‘I was confused but now I think and see clearly within myself and have my comfort and Hope’.
May this month bring life within each one of us to have new perspectives on what is life and how to be a real witness for His great love in our life journey during this 2nd lockdown situation in the UK!
May this Lockdown for 4 weeks bring closeness to God and to show our care and concerns by having good conversations with one another.
All our worship services this month will be in pre-recorded videos including this year’s special services such as Carol Service on 13th Dec. Please uphold the preparation towards these pre-recorded worship videos in your prayers especially for those who contribute in each video.
May we have meaningful worships and glorify God’s name together through these pre-recorded worship videos!
Stay safe and well
With blessings
Revd Jessie Anand, Minister, LTCC 8th November 2020