One of the things I have been able to do while out off action with sciatica is to find a bit more time to pray and read the Scriptures. So yes, congregations of St Andrew's and St Michael's, I may not have been able to get to church and pray with you on Sunday, but I have been able to pray for you while stuck at home. So if you have any prayer requests you'd like to pass on, please e-mail them in!

One of the Scripture verses I read today says,

God has chosen to make known the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory - Colossians 1:27

I was so encouraged by this verse! Though I'm currently bedridden and feeling frustrated about not being out and about, laying the foundations for this new ministry, the foundations are in fact already there - Christ in you, the hope of glory. Even though I struggle to see the point of it all at times - Christ in you, the hope of glory. Paul writes this when he himself is suffering - see v.24 - and is reflecting on Jesus' own ministry through suffering - v.22: - Christ in you is still the hope of glory when pain and suffering are there too.

How amazing that Christ Himself, the King of Glory, should come and live in our hearts, and bring the hope of his glory there, a solid foundation for our lives in good times and bad, never to be taken away. I'm glowing just thinking about it!