BH Bulletin - Friday 5 February 2021

Thought for the Day by Chris Dalton (BH Member)

The forest or the sword?
I was reading 2 Samuel 18 in my quiet time and was surprised by a certain verse when I came to it. David’s men were pursuing Absalom and the Israelites who had rebelled against David. There was a fierce fight and 20,000 casualties and then comes verse 8:
“The forest claimed more lives that day than the sword.”                                                                             I thought that sounded really odd! It made me ask the question - how could a forest claim more lives than enemy soldiers with swords?
I don’t actually know the answer but I went on to think of what it might look like in my life, our lives as Christians. We know we’re in a battle – the Bible makes that clear and also tells us about the armour and strategies God provides for us to fight the battle and resist the enemy so that he runs away from us [2 Corinthians 10:4 -5, Ephesians 6:10 – 18 & James 4:7]. When we see the enemy at work we can fight back with the sword of the Spirit and hold high our shield of faith...
...but how do we fight a forest and not get overwhelmed. I think a forest can look beautiful, it can draw us in and then before we know it, we’re in so deep we’re unsure of the way out. Sometimes we get used to the forest and want to stay there – it’s a place where we can hide from other things, people and situations. But it’s also possible to become completely lost.
What does my forest – your forest – look like? It might be beautiful oaks; eye-catching distractions like too much TV, computer games or even books. it might be looking at huge redwoods or straggly roots that trip us up – life’s big problems and small niggles. So how do we cope? What do we do?
First, we need to want to get out of the forest and then we need to find a trusted guide - one who has walked through the forest and out the other side, who knows the right paths, the safe place to rest and the ultimate destination at the end of the journey. Yes, you guessed it – the guide is Jesus. The One who said,
“I AM the way and the truth and the life”. If we keep our eyes on Him and keep following Him then we will not be overcome by forest or sword!
P.S. Walking companions can really help, too.

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 Message fromPhil

Mill View Hospital (Community) Giving- If possible please give via bank transfer and reference Community.   CAF Bank, Sort Code: 40-52-40, Account Number: 00092749.
If not send a cheque to the church office made payable to Bishop Hannington Church and clearly marked.
Giving to BH - For details about how to give regularly to the work at BH please visit the giving section on the  BH website (Giving information) 

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Coffee and chat after the morning service

Like last Sunday next Sunday post service coffee will not just be a chat but the opportunity to ask questions about the Mental Health Awareness series of sermons on Lamentations 3 so far. This is an opportunity to understand further and discuss together.

It won't be a clinic to share our own difficulties, but there is a place for that, and we want to support and help one another all we can. So if you're struggling at the moment, please don't struggle alone. Get in touch with one of the staff or a trusted friend, or ask us for advice on who might be a good counsellor. It's one thing having a series on Mental Health Awareness, but we need to be able to help one another with this as well. And sometimes that means being able to ask for help too.
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The series on Lamentations 3 goes on until February 14th, and you can catch up with the previous weeks on our YouTube channel, on Churchsuite or the website.

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