Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

So says our new motto text, chosen by the PCC for the New Year, for 2013. 'Light' - as found in Jesus - is what we have had the privilege of proclaiming to our town over the Christmas period. Once again, numbers have been hugely encouraging (including our two School Carol Concerts) with well over 2,500 people with us over the Christmas period. Special thanks has to be made to Viv and Bruce, our wardens, and their teams, who worked so hard over that period to enable it to happen.

The challenge now is to let that ‘light’ shine is us throughout the year, as we allow Jesus to fill us - to 'light' us - where it matters most: outside our buildings; in the world where it counts; where it is needed most.

At our Midnight Communion on Christmas Eve I shared the challenge I found from the book the 'Life of Pi' that, as Christians, we should be known as those whose "profession is to love." It’s a challenging thought. Strictly, in the book, says Pi, it is the Priest whose "profession is to love" - but it seems to me that it is actually the calling of all who allow themselves to be lit by Jesus. It is what we uniquely offer to our world, reflecting the God whose very nature is love. A people whose motivation is love, whose reason for being is love, whose every action is governed by love; the love demonstrated to us by the one who came as the light of/for the world.

That’s the challenge as we go into a New Year as God’s people in this place - and, if we did, who knows what we might see happen amongst us this year.

Rev Canon Dr David Court
Vicar of Cromer