Parish Brief – 9th February 2021
Hello ´Keep watch over yourselves’Acts 20v28 Paul arriving in Ephesus spoke to the leaders there and told them to ‘keep watch over themselves’ – I have always assumed that he was referring to what they believed and taught, but I have come to think that is one application of what is a general command and that in these days of Covid, it has particular relevance to weary clergy. Many clergy have such a sense of service, that we are prone to sacrifice ourselves for the sake others, to the detriment of our wellbeing (and sometimes our family). I won’t be the only one to have heard the words ‘people need me’ ringing around my head even as I feel totally spent. Paul’s words to ‘keep watch over ourselves’ are a helpful counter to such thinking – when we take a moment to think about it, it is obvious. We will only be able to lead and minister well when we are well. We won’t ‘be there for others’ if we are running on empty, depleted in body, mind, and spirit. Jesus, at the most demanding moments in his ministry, withdrew from the crowds to find restoration. He kept watch over… Read More
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