In Trailblazers recently I used the image of a broken mug badly glued back together to make the point to the children that as broken people we are not able by ourselves to make ourselves whole. Jesus is the only one who can do that by being broken utterly for us on the cross. This is at the heart of the choice we make as Christians –  whether we allow Jesus to mend us and make us whole accepting that we are powerless to do this ourselves.

Through the year we have become closer as a benefice – we have got to know each other better, become more comfortable worshipping in different churches and seen the strength that comes from building each other up through the gift of our presence. May we build on this through Holy Week as we tell the story again of Jesus death and resurrection and unite ourselves in that story in a way that overcomes every difference and all brokenness, and makes us whole people.