March is an interesting month to think about time.

Meteorologists divide our year up into four seasons of three months each. The weather folk do that for convenience, so that records can be compared from year to year. March is the first of the Spring months so 1^st March is the beginning of Spring.

However, that’s not true if we look at what is happening to our Earth as it travels round the Sun, giving us the seasons according to the position in our orbit. From that point of view, Spring begins at the Spring Equinox, 20th March this year, the day when day and night are equal in length (equi means equal, nox means night in Latin). After that the days get longer than the nights, until the longest day, June 21^st this year, when the days start to get shorter again.

Whichever way we look at it, Spring begins in March and we have the joy of seeing golden daffodils, listening to the dawn chorus and watching birds pairing up and beginning nest building, ready to begin the next generations.

Just to add to the time confusion we change our clocks, putting them forward an hour at 1am on Sunday 25^th March, Palm Sunday, when we shall remember, in our services, Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a humble donkey, greeted with Hosannas.

The last week of March this year sees us in Holy Week, remembering those last days of Jesus’ earthly life, sharing his last supper with the disciples, being condemned, unthinkingly, by some of those who had greeted him with cheers, to be crucified like a criminal.

The last day of March, Holy Saturday, we watch and wait. 

Marvellously, the first day of April is rewarded with the wonderful news, “He is Risen!” 

Christ’s Resurrection promises new life for us all. It is the beginning of a new day, a new era, full of hope for our future, for our world. We shall truly be able to raise our voices in a joyful, thankful chorus of ‘Hallelujah!’

This Easter will be especially significant for me, as it will be my last as Associate Minister at St. Mark’s. It has been an amazing privilege to serve God here in that capacity and I have enjoyed it immensely.

Last year, on retreat on Lindisfarne I spent some time thinking about the future, asking God to guide me as the years progress.

I came to the conclusion that it was time to set a date for change, for a new beginning.  I decided that Advent, at the change of the liturgical year, would be a good time.

I discussed it with Tim and we agreed that I would be Associate Minister until Advent Sunday, 2^nd December 2018.

God is generous in his provision for us, and I am thrilled that we now hope to have new staff members coming to St. Mark’s later in the year. 

I shall take some time off after Advent for recreation, refreshment and reflection, when I trust that God will show me the path for the next stage of my journey.

Last time God gave me a major change, I became a priest, that does not change, but  there will be fresh tasks and challenges.

I’m rather excited.!

Love, Prayers and Blessings, 

Joy