{"id":2608,"date":"2020-02-03T00:03:41","date_gmt":"2020-02-03T00:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/?p=2608"},"modified":"2020-02-03T00:03:41","modified_gmt":"2020-02-03T00:03:41","slug":"ministers-letter-february-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/ministers-letter-february-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Minister’s Letter – February 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a017<\/sup><\/strong>Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! 18<\/sup><\/strong>All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19<\/sup><\/strong>that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people\u2019s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20<\/sup><\/strong>We are therefore Christ\u2019s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ\u2019s behalf: be reconciled to God. 21<\/sup><\/strong>God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2nd<\/sup> Corinthians 5 NIVUK)<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>I write this the day before the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union.<\/p>\n

I have no intention of exploring the rights or wrongs of this, or rehearsing the many tired arguments for remaining or leaving. I will, however, make what I hope is a fairly balanced observation: neither side has conducted itself with much decorum or grace as we have edged closer to the date of our exit.<\/p>\n

I have been particularly troubled by the recent attempts at grandstanding. On the one hand, we have promises of Brexit parties in Parliament Square, with people encouraged to \u201cbung a bob for a Big Ben bong\u201d, thus ensuring the famous clocktower chimes at the moment of the UK\u2019s departure. On the other hand, we have devolved institutions debating and voting to continue to fly the EU flag outside their building after 31st<\/sup> January. I think it is a serious understatement to say that these attitudes or approaches are unhelpful, but I dare not say any more than that.<\/p>\n

We seem to find ourselves in a time of binaries: if you are not for, then you must <\/em>be against. We have gradually slipped to a point where debate simply consists of shouting louder, rather than attempting to reason with or understand another\u2019s perspective. Nuance in discussion has been lost somewhere along the way.<\/p>\n

The Church has much to say into this context, and I am gratified to see and hear Church leaders beginning to speak of healing and reconciliation. This month, I throw my two pence\u2019s worth into that discussion.<\/p>\n

The above verses, written by the Apostle Paul, are ones I return to often, to remind myself that God is able to do immeasurably more than we can think or imagine. We were separated from God because we had rejected Him and sinned against Him; yet, because of His great love for us, He came as Jesus Christ, died taking our sins away, and rose again, promising new life to all who believe in Him. This He did, that He might reconcile us to Himself, and we might enjoy a restored relationship with Him.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, we might feel that reconciliation with those who think or feel differently from us is impossible. To that, I say: if God can reconcile us across the gulf of sin to Himself, then He can certainly reconcile us to one another!<\/p>\n

May you be reconciled, and be a reconciler.
\nStuart.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a017Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":2401,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[288],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ministers-letters"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1400%2C786&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8z2vw-G4","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2178,"url":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/ministers-letter-march-2019\/","url_meta":{"origin":2608,"position":0},"title":"Minister’s Letter – March 2019","author":"admin","date":"12 March 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Minister's Letters"","block_context":{"text":"Minister's Letters","link":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/category\/ministers-letters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1992,"url":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/ministers-letter-october-2018\/","url_meta":{"origin":2608,"position":1},"title":"Minister’s Letter – October 2018","author":"admin","date":"13 October 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people\u2019s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ\u2019s ambassadors,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Minister's Letters"","block_context":{"text":"Minister's Letters","link":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/category\/ministers-letters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1494,"url":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/ministers-letter-nov-2017\/","url_meta":{"origin":2608,"position":2},"title":"Minister’s Letter – Nov 2017","author":"admin","date":"5 November 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! (2nd Corinthians 5: 16-19\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2336,"url":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/ministers-letter-september-2019\/","url_meta":{"origin":2608,"position":3},"title":"Minister’s Letter – September 2019","author":"admin","date":"3 September 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever (Hebrews 13:8 NIVUK) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIVUK) Christianity is a curious faith, in that it affirms both constancy and change\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Minister's Letters"","block_context":{"text":"Minister's Letters","link":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/category\/ministers-letters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2400,"url":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/ministers-letter-october-2019\/","url_meta":{"origin":2608,"position":4},"title":"Minister’s Letter – October 2019","author":"Stuart Love","date":"2 October 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Follow God\u2019s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Minister's Letters"","block_context":{"text":"Minister's Letters","link":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/category\/ministers-letters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/letter_wide-114373157624ef432f57452b56c2eb19289fd314.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1440,"url":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/ministers-letter-sept-2017\/","url_meta":{"origin":2608,"position":5},"title":"Minister’s Letter – Sept 2017","author":"admin","date":"12 September 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! (2nd Corinthians 5: 16-17\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2608"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2608\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2609,"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2608\/revisions\/2609"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clincarthill.org.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}