Behold the lamb

Paul came up with a cracking three point sermon at St James this morning on the episode in John 1 where John the Baptist points to Jesus and says 'behold, the lamb of God.'

We need to recognise who Jesus is, said Paul.We need to respond to him in the right way, and then with a third 'R,' we need to retell the story - to tell other people about Jesus, just as Andrew told his brother, Simon.

Mission Action Plans, soon to be on our agenda as a church, and intentional evangelism, said Paul, could all be part of the process.

It was an encouraging morning especially as our modest post-Christmas surge in numbers seemed to have continued.

Then, this afternoon, we were back in our old parish of Holy Trinity, Redhill for a church farewell tea for a beloved curate, Alex.

Either curates are getting younger, or I am getting older... (actually I think both those things are happening at once).

It seems only the other day that we were welcoming Alex, Kat, Ben, & Hannah to Redhill straight from theological college in Bristol and now, with a curacy completed with flying colours, they depart this Tuesday for the US where Alex is to Rector of a church outside Pittsburgh.

Soon it could be our turn in Bermondsey to welcome a curate, but in the meantime I'm praying that God will mightilly bless the Shuttleworths in their new home and parish.

We shall miss them.