All Things New

We are moving into a new season as the final third of the year dawns at the beginning of September. Holidays have been enjoyed by many, the beginning of the school year heralds new opportunities and challenges, and the rhythm of life begins to return. Echoing in my ears as I write this is a line from the end of the Book of Revelation: “See, I am making all things new.” Words of Jesus which have inspired generations of Christians to see the world we live in and the age we inhabit with different eyes.

In the Minster in the coming weeks we will be welcoming many visitors from near and far. They will be coming to see ‘A Different View’ - the magnificent paintings of Michelangelo displayed for the first time in a church in this country. There will be opportunities to explore his extraordinary talent as an artist, seeing in close-up the paintings which can only be seen at a distance in their original Sistine Chapel setting. We will be privileged in this time to see the stories which the paintings portray—they are nearly all biblical scenes—with the eyes of faith. Throughout the six weeks of the exhibition we will be exploring what the paintings tell us about who God is and what impact faith in Him has in the 21st century. We trust that the promise of Jesus will be fulfilled among us, and that for many of us, worshippers and visitors alike, we will see “all things new”.

At the heart of this is a call to prayer. No great endeavour is accomplished without a renewal of this practice which is our privilege as Christians. The exhibition is one aspect of our life together, and as a new season starts in the Minster there is much to invite us to renewed prayer. This monthly prayer bulletin demonstrates this.

Finally, the churchwardens and the Parochial Church Council will be working hard through the autumn, ensuring that the Minster is ready for the appointment of a new Vicar. Do keep the whole church in your prayers daily as challenges come our way and we explore what it means to belong to God and with one another. “See, I am making all things new,” is a promise to us all and for us all and for the city we are called to serve.

Frank White
Interim Minister, Hull Minster