As a young person at my local church in South London where I grew up, there was a minister who always began ‘the children’s address’ with the words, “on my way to church this morning.” He would then relate some remarkable incident that had taken place, while on his way to church. By contrast, nothing exciting ever happened to us on the way to church on a Sunday morning, it was always the same, nothing new or exciting!As I have grown into adulthood, and into the Christian faith, I have come to appreciate that it is a matter of what we expect to see and experience day-to-day that makes all the difference as to whether life is new and exciting, or always the same.I see a great example of this each day as I walk our dog. There is already great anticipation and excitement before we even leave the house! We might walk pretty much the same route, to the same park, twice a day, but it is always a new adventure for him! New scents, new people to meet, just a great adventure full of new possibilities and experiences around every corner!Maybe it is about how we approach life day-to-day that makes the difference between whether life is always the same, or full of newness. Certainly there are times of life when all seems foreboding, and there seems little light. Yet our faith assures us that God is with us bringing light into our darkness, just as at springtime we see so much new colour and new growth after the darkness and cold of winter.I pray that through this time of Lent we may look at the wonderful world of God’s creation anew, especially when we come to celebrate that extra-ordinary newness of life at Jesus’ resurrection this Easter time.

REV MIKE PERROTT Vicar of Abbey URC ,Romsey and Braishfield URC