“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens”
These are words from Ecclesiastes chapter 3 and words from a hit song of the 60’s by the Byrds entitled Turn, Turn, Turn. Throughout life seasons come and go, adding variety and challenges to everyday living. Hopefully as we enter into the new season of Spring we can put behind us the floods that have devastated so many people’s lives and look forward to new life in all its fulness.
At Hull Minster we are preparing for a new season in the life of the church.
We are delighted to announce that from 9th July this year we will have a new vicar at Hull Minster. Reverend Dominic Black will be joining us with his wife Heather and their two teenage sons. Dominic and family will be moving from Middlesbrough where Dominic has been vicar of North Ormesby since 2004 and Area Dean of Middlesbrough since 2011. I know they have a heart for sharing the love of Jesus with all people, and we look forward to welcoming them and supporting them on this new and exciting journey for both them and us. Please pray for Dominic and his family and also for the church that he is leaving as they go into vacancy.
Life at Hull Minster does not stop as we wait for Dominic to arrive. It has been a busy vacancy, with our staff and volunteers working very hard to keep things going. After a busy Christmas and Epiphanytide we are now preparing and looking forward to the celebration of Easter, taking time first to prepare ourselves during Lent. With this preparation in mind we are this year having Lent study groups looking at Stephen Cottrell’s book ‘The Things He Carried’. This book takes us on a journey to the cross, the Passion Story told in a powerful and often painful way that helps us to understand the reality of the suffering of Christ so that we could live.
If the name Stephen Cottrell sounds familiar to you, you may well have heard his name on the news as Stephen is to become the next Archbishop of York after the retirement of Archbishop Sentamu in June this year.
As we then approach the season of Lent, let it be a time when we can reflect on where we are on our journey of faith. Maybe we can take a few moments each day from our busy lives and give that time to God, in prayer or in reading the Bible. To help us on our way we are offering at the Minster a number of Lenten Study Groups. These groups will be running on a Wednesday evening and on a Thursday morning at the Minster as well as at our home groups around the city. Find a group here or ask any of the Ministry Team in the church.
As we leap forward into Spring, let us give our spiritual lives a spring clean as well as our homes.
Blessings,
Rev. Irene