Cultivating family 

14th July 2019
 
Rev Peter reflects on our recent away day and what it means to be one church as we move into the future together
 
“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”.  So said Robert Burns, and so it was with our recent away day in Sheringham
 
Despite several last minute hiccups, we were rewarded with a wonderful day together
 
The time of worship was, I believe, particularly special, as it reminded us of how easily barriers are overcome when Jesus is front and centre
 
In our discussion sessions we explored what it means to love one another in practice (John 13:35) and this raised the question of ‘God’s covenant of shalom’ (Ezekiel 34:25)
 
In a In a nutshell this promise from God to his people is about a vision of living that brings a fullness of life to all. It is immensely practical - rooted in a commitment to developing our relationship with Jesus and with God's family - the church. It is a picture of a caring, sharing, rejoicing community, bound by Christ’s love for us and our love for Him
 
If we want to truly be one family at Park then this is where we begin
 
To commit to this vision of Godly wholeness requires us to ask how much are we willing to share, to care, to rejoice together? This is often costly; in terms of our time, our resources, even emotionally as we invest in each other
 
But in the midst of this we find God’s promise of shalom - a peace that both sustains and gives life and hope. This is church in its fullness
 
Is this something you're willing to commit to seeing realized at Park?