From the Churches October 2023

Reflecting the new partnership between Churches in Gorleston, this column will now feature leaders from different churches in our town

This month we hear from Rev Matthew Price, Vicar of St Mary Madgalene Church in Gorleston

The Season of Thankfulness

We are privileged to live in a beautiful part of the world - with both the wonderful (and awarding winning) Gorleston Beach and the Norfolk Broads on our doorsteps. Our little bit of Norfolk has much to offer!

And, as I look around and contemplate our surroundings myself, I am reminded of Paul (the Apostle)’s reminder to a young man, Timothy, that “God... richly provides us with every-thing for our enjoyment”. You can find his words in the Bible in 1 Timothy 6, verse 17 and following

But, I wonder, is that what we think? That God gives us everything for our enjoyment?! Maybe, if we think about God at all, we think he is either utterly disengaged with our world or that his main interest is in rules; don’t touch this, don’t do that; make sure you behave in the right way. We might doubt that God has any interest in us having fun

But this challenges that view. God gives us the good things we see in our world for our enjoyment. He wants us to enjoy his good gifts. God wants us to have fun. There is so much good around us - let’s make sure we enjoy it

Perhaps one of our challenges is that, because we live here, we end up taking for granted the wonderful things we have around us. And that was also the danger for Timothy’s generation. So Paul also warned them “not to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God”. It seems they were so busy enjoying the gifts that they’d forgotten about the giver, the provider, the host of the world’s great party. Maybe there’s something in those words for our generation too?

In the church’s calendar, harvest-time is an opportunity to notice the good gifts that God gives us and express our thanks to Him for them. And, over the next few weeks, at St Mary Magdalene - and I am sure in other churches in the town too - we will have the opportunity to do that corporately

One of the ways that we will express our thanks to God, for all that he has given us, is by remembering those that are less fortunate than ourselves. So, our harvest festival service will include a collection of dried and tinned goods for our foodbank

The foodbank at St Mary Magdalene is part of the Yarmouth & Magdalen Foodbank which primarily serves the town of Great Yarmouth and the Magdalen estate here in Gorleston. And, very sadly, we are seeing the need for the foodbank continue to rise as the pressures on family budgets rises with the cost of living crisis. Between just April and July of this year, our foodbank distributed 323 food parcels, supporting 733 individuals (226 of which were children)

Perhaps this month might be an opportunity for each of us to pause, give thanks for all the good things that we have and also to remember those who are less fortunate than ourselves

courtesy of the Gorleston Community Magazine

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