Northfield Methodist Church

Dear friends,

Sometime ago there was a movie called “Keeping The Faith”. You may have seen it. It is about a Jewish rabbi and a Catholic priest who have been close friends since childhood, but who later in life fell in love with the same childhood sweetheart. It is a fun film that at times shows much insight into the nature of faithfulness and commitment. The title says it all. How does one “keep the faith” if you are a Jewish rabbi in love with a non-Jewish woman, or if you are a Catholic priest vowed to celibacy? A comment by the priest’s elder colleague sums up the message. Being a priest, he says, was not simply a choice you made once. It is a choice that he had to make everyday.

This is equally true for us as followers of Christ. Faithfulness to Jesus as his disciple is not a once off thing. It is a choice we renew every day. Everyday we are faced with situations that challenge us and our faith. Everyday there are crossroads that we come across and we have to choose which way to go. Sometimes it is not easy at all. One of the reasons we gather together every Sunday is precisely to confess our failures to be faithful to Christ, to receive his forgiveness, and above all, to be renewed by the Spirit in keeping the faith. Will you allow this to happen today?

There is also another side to all this. It is God’s faithfulness to us. God never gives up on us. Think of Jesus’ relationship with Peter. Even though Peter blew it again and again, Jesus continued to have faith in him. If today you feel that you have let God down badly, or someone close to you, or maybe yourself, please know this Good News. It helps us get started again, to pick ourselves up and to make better choices for our future.

May Northfield be a place where we help each other to keep the faith.

God bless
The Ministry Team