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Canon Peter Lea

"Faith is a journey of learning and growth, rooted in the unchanging truth of Christ’s resurrection and love. Though I stumble, I seek guidance and strive to do better. Prayer has taught me to trust God’s timing, knowing that His answers may come in unexpected ways—but always with mercy and grace."

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When I was asked to write something about my faith, I had to think hard. The essentials never change, but I have found that I am always learning and I have been very fortunate to have so many people who have guided me, probably without knowing it.What about the essentials – we are an Easter people and the rock of faith is the resurrection, also those words from the cross “today you will be with me in paradise”, and the great commandment “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind and your neighbour as yourself”The essentials are there but so often I fail and have to say sorry and then try to get better.I know that I have to ask for help and guidance before acting, rather than going it alone and getting into a mess and having to ask for help to correct it.The words of a communion bidding prayer say so much to me:“Come to this table, not because you must, but because you may, not because you are strong but because you are weak.Come, not because any goodness of your own gives you the right to come, but because you need mercy and help.Come because you love the Lord a little and would like to love him more.Come because he loved you and gave himself for you.”I have come to realise that prayer is often answered not in the way that we hope or expect. We can be given something far different from what we thought that we wanted or needed. I have to accept that I must act in God’s time, not my own.