Monthly Message (August 2007) - Strangers and Friends

Dear Friends,

Travelling and travellers appear often in the stories we read in the Bible. Jesus is often seen to be on a journey, passing through, meeting strangers, making friends and facing new challenges as his reputation went before him. The story of God’s involvement with the people of Israel begins with the call to travel, to Abraham and Sarah. The story’s dramatic roots are planted in the journey from slavery to freedom as Moses led the people from Egypt out into the wilderness at the prompting of God’s promise. And many more, across the generations of the Biblical story, find spiritual paths woven in and out and around the roads they travel and the new places they discover among friends and strangers.

In the New Testament letter to the Hebrews, the young church is encouraged to be boldly welcoming when it says, "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some have entertained angels without knowing it."(13vs.2).

The summer months, sun or rain, are the time when many of us travel to new places. Last summer I invited people to send the church a post card from their holidays - and it was amazing to capture a sense of the breadth of world wide experience that our congregation is able to enjoy. As travellers we are greatly blessed and as a community of people our experience of the world is broad.

In the month of August some of our members will travel together, on pilgrimage, to share a week on the isle of Iona with the Christian community there. There will be sixteen people in all - fifteen from Trinity-Henleaze URC and one from the Westbury-on-Trym Parish Church. With the Iona Community, in the week of 18th-24th August we will be reflecting upon the theme of ‘Hope’, and considering what it might mean to live hopefully with creation, and in the city. Please do remember and pray for these pilgrims - that in travelling we shall meet strangers and make friends alongside the spiritual journey of prayer, reflection and activity.

Another journey to mention set out on 14th July. Christian Aid have called together a group of twenty volunteers to walk, beginning in Northern Ireland, through Scotland, England and Wales, on what is being called the ‘Cut the carbon march ......’. Raising awareness of the environmental issues that face us all and bring even greater problems for the world’s poorest people, ten people from the UK and ten Christian Aid partners from developing countries, will visit many cities across the country until they reach London in October.

The ‘Cut the carbon march’ will visit Bristol on 14th/15th September - holding an event on College Green on the Saturday 15th. September. It would be good to support this effort - these are issues that touch us all and will shape the future for us, the poor and the generations that follow. Anyone can attend the College Green events. If you would like to offer support in the form of bed and breakfast hospitality for one or two of the walkers then our local Christian Aid organiser, Tony Light, would be pleased to hear from you. (968 6589).

Where ever you travel this summer, even if its in this neighbourhood, I hope that you have the opportunity in meeting strangers ... and making friends.

Yours,

Tracey.