Welcome

Dear Friends

Not just in Cumbria, but throughout the country, people have been shocked and disturbed by the random shootings in and around Whitehaven last week. How should we respond? 

Naturally, our first reaction will be one of compassion towards those most directly affected by these horrific events: the families and friends of the victims, the injured, and those who feel threatened by this breakdown in community, this sudden and inexplicable violence. When we start to ask why and how this could have happened, we can provide psychological and sociological explanations, but the evil of it escapes easy definition or categorisation. We may be tempted to blame God, saying that he could have averted these events. However, God has given us all free will, the ability to choose good or evil, and that freedom is often abused. God was not in the violence, but he can already be seen in the response. 

Back in January, we asked our congregation to identify the issues that they struggled with as Christians, and we ended up with four 'hot topics' that we are tackling during June. The first of these was 'Why does God allow suffering?'. A copy of the sermon preached on this topic can be found elsewhere on the website,  and I hope you will find it helpful in addressing the very issues which the Whitehaven shootings have raised. The other topics which we will be addressing are: 'Why did Jesus have to die?', 'Is Jesus the only way to God?' and 'Has science disproved Chrisianity?' I hope you will find these helpful and that they will provide reasons to trust in the goodness and grace of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The Lord bless you

Alan