Recovery
Happy New Year to our readers! It’s great to be back to the usual 10 editions of the Herald for 2022.
After all the disruption to our lives, it’s hard to believe that nearly two years on, we are still on this pandemic journey, with no clear sign of when it will be over.
However, there is perhaps a sense that we are now in a recovery mode of sorts; desperately trying to regain what we have lost, or at least reclaim some of the things that we had to put aside. And there will certainly be a need for recovery as the damage is assessed, whether that be mental, physical or spiritual. Individuals and churches will have to consider how they move forward, which is perhaps a good opportunity to reflect and make positive changes.
This month Ruth Bromley looks at how churches are returning to children’s ministry and features two congregations who have very different approaches. She reminds us of the importance of not neglecting children as we must remember: “God uses his Word to impact the lives of every member of the church family.
With more limited ways of connecting with each other, the discipleship of its members will be a key consideration for congregations. Rick Hill’s new book offers some wise advice on how to build deep roots of resilient faith. He asserts that reassessing church activities at this time is worthwhile: “…the pandemic gave us an opportunity to reflect and review how much of our spiritual activity really is helping to push spiritual depth in people.”
Norman Hamilton also calls us to reassess, with a particular focus on our attitude to social justice. With the cost of living rising at an exponential rate, many in our society will be struggling financially. Norman asks us to consider how we look beyond ourselves and care for others. He says, “Practical compassion and practical action involve costly discipleship. Faith without works really is dead – very dead.”
Recovery is the theme of Dr Sharon Hasting’s article, where she bravely tells her story of living with mental health struggles. She reminds us that as Christians we are all in recovery: “at the very least [from] the sinfulness which created our need for salvation.”
Yet this doesn’t detract from our call to live out our faith with works. As Sharon challenges us: “Every choice matters and every day we can do positive things which help us build for a future of greater wholeness. I have learnt in recovery that I do not have to wait until life is perfect before I ‘continue to do good’ (1 Peter 4:19).”
The Presbyterian Herald is the official magazine of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. It provides a forum for debate and discussion on a wide range of topics and aims to challenge and encourage Presbyterians, as well as inform them about what the wider Church is involved in. It has a readership in excess of 25,000 and is distributed throughout Ireland.
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