Dear Friends,  

With the recent easing of lockdown restrictions, both Angela and myself were able to travel to the Lake District to visit her dad.  It had been six months since we had seen him so as you would imagine it was quite an emotional visit.  During the visit we had a walk down by the river in Cockermouth, birthplace  of William Wordsworth, and we were amazed at how the area had been transformed after the impact of various floods over the years.  A new pedestrian bridge has been built, flood defences have been improved, everything had been landscaped and it was very pleasant to walk and sit by the river.

When it comes to rainfall it is not called the Lake District for nothing and I remember a particularly bad flood in November 2009 which saw up to 8 feet of flood water flowing down the high street and the local brewery found some of their beer barrels halfway up trees on the riverside.

On the walk I came across a plaque which had a bible quotation from the Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament (chapter 58, verse 12) which reads: “Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age old foundations; you will be called repairer of broken walls. Restorer of broken streets with dwellings.”

The people of Cockermouth and no doubt others had really taken this text to heart and I am sure after yet another flood, most people must have felt like giving up and running to the hills. But no, sleeves were rolled up, plans sketched out and funds found and together resilient people restored the town and river bank to be a blessing to those living there and to the many visitors who flock over the year.

As we start to experience some sort of ‘normal’ life, we pray that the easing of lockdown restrictions will continue and we can start rebuilding our lives and enjoy being able to socialize with family and friends. We may not be rebuilding actual physical buildings or dealing with another potential flood but our mental health has taken a battering and we need time to process what has happened in our lives. God has given us each other as a gift and a blessing and to be present not only in times of joy but also in times of stress and sadness. My prayer is as we journey into a brighter future that we may be willing to be there for our neighbour, that together we rebuild our lives and social events etc and build a kinder and more loving community and life.  

At St Peter’s Church we have begun this journey and you are most welcome to join us at our services or any future social events as together we experience the love of God in our midst and rebuild our lives.  

God bless and take care and stay safe, Glenn

Dear Friends, 

It is hard to believe that is now a full year since that very first lockdown.  Who would have thought that we are still living with restrictions in our daily lives but we pray that the vaccination roll out will soon enable us to return to some sort of normality.  It was interesting to hear what people are really looking forward to post pandemic:  their replies ranged from travel, shopping, eating out, attending live events to of course being with loved ones – families and friends.

I can remember reading a survey conducted several years ago about happiness.  The survey attempted to understand what aspects of  life improve our general happiness and as one would expect access to money featured highly in this. It was found though that when one had the money to furnish the basics in life i.e. putting a house over one’s head, enough money for food and clothes and some left over for treats and holidays etc; even if a person had a lot more money it did not mean they were far happier in themselves.  No, what came out was when the basics in our lives were catered for, it was relationships with others i.e. friendships that really improved our happiness. It was having others to share our lives and feel wanted and loved.

As we approach another Easter, one could argue relationships are at the very core of the Easter message.  Jesus goes to the cross on our behalf to offer us a way back to a restored relationship with God the Father. We see on the cross God’s amazing love in action and forgiveness for each one of us if we believe and trust in Jesus. Sam Wells writes: “One could say ‘Jesus hangs on the cross’, to show us the love that hangs on and that if we hang onto that love, it will never let us go”.

It is often said that there are some things in life that money cannot buy and that of course is love – sacrificial and unbounded – God’s love that embraces us in the life and death of Jesus. It is a love that will never let us go and we see it reflected in the love we share  between family and friends. It is going to wonderful to spend time again with our loved ones in the weeks ahead and here at St Peter’s Church.  You are most welcome to join us at our services or social events as together we experience the love of God in our midst.  

God bless this Easter and take care and stay safe

Glenn

Rev Glenn Coggins, Vicar of  the United Benefice of Stanley, Outwood and Wrenthorpe and Alverthorpe.

Dear Friends,  When we meet or phone family or friends one of the first things we ask is how they are. We can now add a further query which is ‘have you had the vaccine yet? There’s no doubt one of the things to herald and rejoice at the start of this year is the number of vaccinations that have been delivered in our country; over 20 million as I pen this letter. What an absolute triumph of science and logistics to have produced several vaccines in under a year and delivered them. The sheer number of vaccinations given is a very positive step along the rocky road towards some sort of normality.

I wonder if the heroes of the day are now scientists, NHS staff and keyworkers who continue to serve and go the extra mile in these most testing times – let’s give them three cheers!

When one looks back it is amazing how our lives have been improved in these past few generations.  Can you remember the days when you got up on a winter’s morning to find ice on the inside of the bedroom window?   Central heating has given us warm homes and when one goes to a local supermarket the sheer amount of choice can be overwhelming; they reckon a large supermarket has something like 44,000 different items on the shelf, and that’s before you go online.

There is a flip side to the ever increasing standard of living, the ease of travel and the choice on the shelves, and that is the damage are we doing to the planet and animal world and do workers across the world get a fair wage.  In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we are given the privilege of being good stewards of the world we live in. So how we live and develop as a human race comes with a great responsibility to think beyond what’s in it for me but rather what impact does my life have on this amazing world, and how can I leave it in good shape for future generations. As we continue to push the boundaries of what we can do as a human race we must bear in mind that just because we can do a new thing doesn’t mean we should do it without considering the possible side effects. A starting point is to recognize that we are not mini-gods, rather we are accountable to God for the way we use our God    given talents and the world’s resources.

For Christians, a good place for guidance are the two commandments  summarised by Jesus: the first is ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul’ and the second is ‘love your neighbour as you would love yourself’. With these two commandments we should not go too far wrong as we live in an increasingly complex world and grapple with many questions and challenges that come our way. So as Lent continues, let’s give thanks for all those who continue to use their God given talents to push the boundaries of science and technology so they may be guided by God to build a world that reflects his goodness and grace and help us all to live a blessed life.

Take care and stay safe,

Rev Glenn Coggins, Vicar of  the United Benefice of Stanley, Outwood and Wrenthorpe and Alverthorpe.