Monthly Message from our Rector

Hit the Ground Running?

September is the start of the new school year and for many people (like the person I was discussing this with recently) it represents a new year, a new season, even more so than January. So how do we approach this new year? Are we ready for it? I’ve even heard clergy saying that they want to hit the ground running in September.

And whilst I really understand the sentiment, I prefer the Archbishop of York’s phrase “hit the ground kneeling”. But even then, I’m not sure it’s right. As much as I agree that it’s essential to start with prayer, I’m not sure “hitting the ground” with anything, truly reflects Jesus’s way of life. It feels like we are still being carried along by a world that is going too fast, and in the wrong direction!

So, this September we will be thinking about slowing down to Jesus’s pace – as we slow down our outer and inner lives and open ourselves up to God.  We’ll be reflecting on some key passages of scripture and looking at the spiritual practices that can help us Increasingly slow down and walk the way of Jesus.

As we start this new season – I pray that you would know Jesus as your pacesetter and that you would start to slow down and increasingly open yourself to God.

Revd Peter Francis
Rector Rodborough, Woodchester & Brimscombe