Dear Friends,

Leaps, bounds and steps

Recently the ministry team at St James' enjoyed a day together at Parcevall Hall, Bradford Diocese Retreat Centre, in the Dales. It was good for us to pause and spend time together.

In the afternoon some of us went for a walk through Troller’s Gill, which is a limestone gorge that for most of the year has a dry river bed. It is not dry in January. In fact it was pretty wet. "Shall we turn back?" I asked our intrepid crew. "Of course not", came their response. By now I should know better than to even hint at questioning the determination of clergy and readers. It just spurs them on.

It was wet, steep in places and slippery everywhere. The sensible thing would have been to turn back. But we made it. We criss-crossed the river bed more times than any of us would care to remember. We shared walking sticks, offered hands and step by step we edged our way to the top and then back down again via a more sensible route.

They said they loved it. I loved getting back, getting back in one piece with the team intact.

Last month I wrote about the significance of a leap of faith. Such leaps, when we make a decisive change are hugely important. Leaps of faith matter, but so do small steps. Lent, as the days gradually lengthen, is a time of making such steps of faith. Do consider whether you would like to join a Lent Study Group, or join us for the Thursday Meditations and lunches or even a walk - certainly less slippery than the one I have just described.

With every blessing,

Brendan

You can follow Rev Giblin on twitter @RevGiblin