Pastor's Letter  November 2014 

 Dear Friends

A few weeks ago our life group had a night away together at a hotel on a cheap DBB deal.  To be honest my expectations for the hotel were not high based on the price we were paying, we were simply taking the opportunity to enjoy time together as a life group.  When we arrived at the hotel, however, we were all a bit taken aback.  It was a beautiful building set in very impressive grounds and when it came to dinner we were shown into a private dining room that looked like something from Downton Abbey (not that I have ever seen it you understand – but others in our life group do occasionally watch it!).  The table was set with all the finest silverware: candelabras, serving dishes and even little silver covered butter dishes!  The menu was very impressive and included all sorts of interesting little canapés (or amuse-bouches – not quite sure what the difference is?), and was served by a waiter wearing white gloves.

As we sat there at the dinner table I have to admit that I was a little concerned that they had mistaken us for another group.  It was difficult to believe we were getting all this for such a good price so I was half expecting someone to come in and inform us that it was all a mistake and that we were actually getting chicken nuggets and chips!  I was waiting for someone to find us out and remove us.  I think this is the way some of us feel (perhaps all of us at some point) when it comes to God and to our salvation.  
We know that we cannot earn our salvation, that it is ours by God’s grace, through faith, yet still sometimes we can feel a fraud.  We can look at others and can see why God would love them and save them, but we find it hard to believe that God would love us.  We can easily feel like we are sitting at this great banquet that God has laid on and we don’t deserve to be there.  Perhaps there is some mistake.  Perhaps someone is going to come in and ask us to leave.  

Yet the Bible makes it very clear that it is for us.  Paul writes these wonderful words to the church in Ephesus:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no-one can boast”
(Eph 2:8-9)

Our salvation, our future eternal inheritance, is quite simply a gift from God that is ours through the greatest gift – Jesus Christ.  He invites us to his banqueting table because he loves us and wants a relationship with us.  The invite is for you, for me and for many more who have yet to hear the Good News.  Let me encourage us all not to settle for a life of chicken nuggets.  Let us take our place at God’s table and let us be the ones who tell others of this great gift that they too can feast with us as part of God’s family.

Much love and blessings

Jon