Why?

Like everyone I have watched with near disbelief as the images of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami have flashed across the TV screen. The scale of the destruction and loss of life is mind numbing. The continued threat to life and health, alarming. At the same time Comic Relief has highlighted the unnecessary suffering of people in Africa and across the world in a way that can't help but move us. It seems so injust, so unfair.
Why? Why do these things happen?
About 20 years ago I read Harold Kushner's book "When Bad things Happen to Good People". It's a book that changed my thinking and still challenges me today whenever I am faced with suffering in my own life or in the world. It reminds me that whatever happens, God is right here in the middle of it.
I don't have an answer to why these things happen but I do have a response.
"Why?" is not the right question. The real question is "How?" - How will I, how will you respond now that it has?

What does church mean to you?

A couple of weeks ago I asked everyone at church to help me with my Congregational Study by telling me what they think St Mary's would be if it were an animal, a film, a book, a game a colour of a food. Thanks to all of you who participated. The answers were both entertaining and enlightening!.. I'm going to put something up at the back of church about it this week but your responses told me some important things about St Mary's. A huge number of the responses were about community and the sense of family.
One likened it to horses who bond with each other, make strong friendships and give pleasure to others. Another said its film title would be The Family because that is what we are. It also highlighted how much we value the mixture of people, ages and cultures that make up this community... Like the Wizard of Oz - You meet some strange people on the way but it turns out you have things in common and good wins out! Or like a recipe book - a real mixture.

Others commented on the journey of faith we are all making; like Snakes and ladders - Sometimes you are up and other times down but always on the board, and the nourishment we recieve on the way; like risotto church is filling and fab church fills your soul!

But then again there was the response that simply said If my church were a film it would be the good the bad and the ugly - I leave you to draw your own conclusions...