In the last few weeks I have changed my status; it wasn’t something I earned or merited, more like a gift, though a gift that was not entirely unexpected. With effect from 12.15pm on Wednesday, April 11^th Maureen and I became grandparents.

A whole new world now opens up: I can forget measuring out my life with teaspoons, or sessions of ‘Countdown’, and look forward to seeing the world afresh with – her first step, her first spoken word (Dada?), watching a nativity play, reading Beatrix Potter. There is also something deeply satisfying in knowing that the ‘Bailey’ line is continued into the future. It’s also great to know that she can always be handed back to her parents at the end of the day.

In one way this new relationship can never be changed: I will always be Emily’s grandpa and Emily will always be my granddaughter. But a relationship between persons is a living, dynamic thing; it has to be worked at and maintained. Some of the things that will need working on I have been reading about in “The Good Granny Guide” by Jane Fearnley-Whittinstall, although most of the pitfalls there seem to be related to parental guidance.

More important are the tasks we find set out in the Baptism service:

“People of God will you welcome this child and uphold her in her new life in Christ?”

All: “With the help of God we will.”

Parents and godparents are specifically asked:

“Will you pray for this child, draw her by your example into the community of faith and walk with her in the way of Christ?

Will you care for her, and help her to take her place within the life and worship of Christ’s church?”

Change of Status (2)

At Easter we were reminded of another change of status, the most important that has happened to us. In and through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ mankind has been rescued from the dominion of sin and death and made citizens of His kingdom. The Easter Day post-communion collect puts it like this:

“God of Life, who for our redemption gave your only begotten Son

to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection

have delivered us from the power of the enemy:

grant us so to die daily to sin,

that we may evermore live in him in the joy of his risen life,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We did not deserve this change of status, we certainly did not earn it; it is a free gift from God. But being a citizen carries responsibilities, we have to work at it and this is a task that continues throughout our lives. We cannot carry out the task in our own strength alone, but once more God has provided the means.

Forty days after Jesus’ resurrection he was taken up into heaven telling his disciples it was in their own best interests that he left them, and promising them that he would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to empower them thereafter. We celebrate the first of these events with a service of Holy Communion on Ascension Day (May 17th) and celebrate the second of these events with services on Whit Sunday (May 27^th). From that date the Church’s year passes into what is called ‘Ordinary time’ when our weekly Bible readings in the Sundays after Pentecost switch from recalling the incidents of Christ’s earthly ministry in chronological order, from his birth at Christmas to his death and resurrection, to consider in more detail just what it means to live a holy life.

As we live out our life day by day we pray that we may “Shine as lights in the world to the glory of God the Father”, whether we be newly born babes like Emily or 70 years young like her grandpa!

Colin Bailey

In the last few weeks I have changed my status; it wasn’t something I earned or merited, more like a gift, though a gift that was not entirely unexpected. With effect from 12.15pm on Wednesday, April 11th Maureen and I became grandparents.

More important are the tasks we find set out in the Baptism service:

In the last few weeks I have changed my status; it wasn’t something I earned or merited, more like a gift, though a gift that was not entirely unexpected. With effect from 12.15pm on Wednesday, April 11^th Maureen and I became grandparents.