Gwydyr Rd, Crieff, UK, PH7 4BS

Dear Friends,

Have you ever heard someone say – ‘I don’t like change.’ ‘It seems most change round here is just for the sake of change!’ We have a coalition government that was voted in largely on a mandate for change. Already the new political party has proposed significant changes in our system of government, as well as major cut backs in public spending, and many people will lose their jobs.

Some changes bring personal pain, but there are also good changes. A few weeks ago I managed to fix the door on our kitchen oven so that it would close properly. For months it hadn’t quite closed for the last few degrees, so it was constantly ajar, and the inner glass panel would slide out and hit you on the shins whenever you opened the oven.  I was so pleased that it was working better as I like trying to fix appliances and keep old cars going.  Repairing rather than buying new does not help the economy much, but I like to feel I’m doing something to reduce waste in the environment.

Unfortunately, within a couple of weeks, despite my best efforts to fix the problem, the door mechanism failed again.  This week the hinges broke completely and the door fell with an almighty crash, right down to the kitchen floor, where it shattered into thousands of tiny pieces! As I write this there are no more roasts, cakes or fresh baked bread in our home. There’s something about human nature. Many of us are quite happy to tinker with something to try and keep it going, instead of admitting that it’s totally kaput and it needs a radical change!

We now have a gaping space in our kitchen cupboards and a door-less and useless oven. We have ordered a new oven – and, God willing, it will arrive soon. I realised that tinkering around and making small changes might have made things last a little while longer, but what we really needed was a brand new oven!

Are you frustrated with just tinkering and trying to improve a spiritual life that needs a radical change? Don’t wait for a crash! Anticipate the future and ask God to help you make the best change. As the Apostle Paul says; ‘I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.’ Phil 3:8 NIV. We really have to desire a change with our whole heart, and the good news is that it won’t cost as much as a new oven! The new spiritual life will produce real food that nourishes your soul and the lives of others. If you want to discover how to experience the changes that God wants to make in your life, pray, listen to God through the Word and the Spirit or talk to your pastor and look for what God wants to do in your life.

Pastor Bernie