Change

The old order changeth, yielding place to new

And God fulfills himself in many ways.

Words from Morte d’Arthur by Alfred Lord Tennyson, words which kept running through my mind as, for the first time, we entered our newly-appointed church on Saturday.

Certainly the ‘old order’ has changed: nine months without our church building; nine months of worshipping for our main services at MRMC, receiving such a warm welcome, building new friendships, both adjusting to slightly different ways of working. 

Now the return to our refurbished church with its new floor – some areas of the church yet to be finished, the organ still in wraps but about to be uncovered.

All that change is negligible, though, as we consider Jesus’ disciples as they saw their Lord ‘carried up into heaven – the last time they would see him on earth, always marked on Ascension Day, which is celebrated on Thursday. Then, the responsibility of promoting God’s Kingdom would rest with them. Certainly ‘God fulfils himself in many ways.’

As we look towards Ascension, and our own period of change and settling into the church building, we pray:

Almighty God,

Your son ascended to the throne of power in heaven,

That he might be Lord over all things for his people:

We pray that the worship and the service of the church

may be inspired by his presence,

And that he will remain with us always,

To the end of the age. Amen