“It is hopeless”; “We’re never going to be able to recover from this”; “I can’t see the way through”

Even if those are words you haven’t actually uttered out loud over the last 12months, perhaps you - or others you work alongside in your team - have silently listened to those thoughts surface in minds and hearts.

God is used to it when his people get to this place. Sometimes, it is ONLY when we get to this place that He can step in and transform a situation and transform us. If we cannot see the answer or the next step forwards, it means we’re finally trusting completely on God rather than being ‘god’ of our own plans.

Have you considered that the church is in captivity at present?

Compared to this time last year, we have been uprooted and taken to a foreign land, been prevented from gathering for worship and being community together, and have had to adapt to a strange socially-distanced, infection-resistant way of living that we yearn to leave behind.

The book of Daniel follows the positioning of a faithful follower of God in the midst of enforced captivity.

This is a very timely message to us right now.

On behalf of UCAN, please can I wish you a Happy New Year.

How many times have you received this greeting so far this year? It’s the common opener to emails and the initial sentiment to most phone calls. My 2 young boys have taken great delight in saying it to passers-by on our daily walks since 1st January. Happy New Year – But perhaps this year, more than most, you receive this with a sense of hesitation or questioning – will it be a Happy New Year?

I have an active imagination which can often find itself immersed in a Bible narrative visually. This can sometimes be a problem when I encounter a chapter like Acts 27 and the storm that overcomes the boat carrying Paul to Rome.

This is a very timely message to us right now.

Last week, I was working with our gardening club whose volunteers look after our grounds. I became most concerned at the state of a fuchsia which was looking far from its usual buoyant self. Its leaves had turned yellow, its floral bells looked tired and were withering, and it projected an air of being altogether sick and struggling.

At the front of the building, another fuchsia was proud and strong, its branches laden with radiant scarlet bells and enjoying the hot weather that had recently arrived.