Life can sometimes feel more like an endurance test than really living – so congratulations we’ve almost made it to the end of January 2021!

With so many hopes rested on the start of 2021 and jubilation when 2020 became history, this year feels painfully familiar as we approach our first lockdown anniversary and a year of ‘seconds’.

But enough with the gloom! Time to remember some excellent things. This isn’t really Throwback Thursday or Flashback Friday, how about Just-back January?

Christmas wasn’t so long ago and we wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone that got involved in the Street Trees. Seeing those come to life with decorations made by people from across the community, many I’ve never been able to meet, was definitely one of my 2020 highlights. And despite nearly being in February, surely it’s never too late (or early) to think about Christmas.

Here are just some of the decorations.

As a fan of competition, I believe even a bit of fun needs a winner, so without further ado. A big shout out to all those that decorated ‘Hope’ in Patrick Park it looked incredible even after battling the wind, and is a worthy close runner-up. But our winner has to be ‘Enlightenment’ on Sackett Road, your tree stole the show and looked phenomenal. Know that you have the honour of being ‘2020’s Best Tree’. And a huge thank you to all our Street Hosts for getting decorations to everyone and standing the tree back up after fighting the wind (multiple times!)

What we did by painting, drawing, colouring, writing on our decorations is like a visual image of life with God. God gives us life, the wooden decoration and we add our colour and expression to it, then when we bring them all together, the world is full of colour. Even in lockdown we still bring our colour, it might feel subdued, lost or forgotten, but we can still bring it. And the great thing is that even the decorations where the colour was washed off by the rain, when they are all together with the other decorations they still add colour and vibrancy to the whole.

So whether you feel like the decoration full of colour and glitter, or the washable felt tip run out by the rain. We stand stronger and more beautiful together, Jesus formed us and continues to hold us , we are supported by the tree, and on that backdrop we all shine.

“I thank you High God – you’re breathtaking!

Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration – what a creation!”

Psalm 139 v 14, The Message (Bible version)

As a church community we are praying for every person in our community. Our prayer is that you would know that you are made, loved and held by Jesus.

We’ve kept all the decorations (that weren’t blown away by the wind), if you have any ideas for turning them into something beautiful to celebrate our community, let us know, get in touch by email or through social below.

If you’d like prayer for anything or would like to join us on Zoom for Family fun on Sunday’s @ 4pm or as adults on Wednesday @ 8pm, drop us a line.

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