“He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.”
(1 Kings 19:11-12)
What a great piece of the Hebrew Bible this is – that famous occasion when Elijah is fleeing for his life, many of his fellow prophets have been killed or captured, and when all seems lost and even creation itself seems to spit violence and noise and destruction at him, God speaks to Elijah in the peace and in the silence. Powerful, poetic, and unsurprisingly referred to often in Christian art and hymnody – perhaps the latter most memorably in John Greenleaf Whittier’s Dear Lord and Father of Mankind.
What’s often forgotten is what happens just four verses later…in the midst of their conversation God says to Elijah: “…and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-Meholah as prophet in your place.” (1 Kings 19:16). I remember my reaction when I first read this, and thinking poor, poor Elijah! After all he has done, endured, survived, the work, the effort, the faithfulness…and God hands him his P45. Charming!
Of course, keep reading Elijah and Elisha’s story, and it’s abundantly clear that God knows absolutely what God is doing, and God’s purposes continue to be fulfilled through different people, with different gifts, with different personalities, in different ways. Thanks be to God that that is so!
It’s a joy that, after a little wait that was starting to become a medium wait, a new minister will definitely be coming to Eastbourne. At the time of writing I know little more than you do – mostly just what’s been announced thus far – but knowing that into March and April we’ll hear more about our new minister and the gifts, experience, and joy that they will bring. What an exciting time that lies ahead – a time of getting-to-know, and sharing life and faith and fellowship. What an exciting time for Emmanuel, with a new minister who will lead the church into this next phase of church life.
So if, in any moment, you feel yourself feeling hopeful and excited at the prospect of a new minister Emmanuel – then GOOD! It IS exciting and new possibilities lie ahead which
will shape Emmanuel in new ways. Emmanuel and our church community won’t need a Rev Paul-carbon-copy, but someone who starts afresh. It strikes me that God is terribly good at doing new things – shouldn’t we not only expect it but look forward to it? And if we look forward to it, but prepare for it and work for it too? In the coming months ahead, my focus will be on getting as much ready as I can for Jonathan and his family.
There’ll be time for endings and things, for ‘lasts’ and for goodbyes, and probably a few tears too, all in due course. For now, though, the journey continues and as ever there is much to do. I cannot help but spare a thought, too, for the churches and circuits who have not been fortunate in being matched with a minister, and who will be preparing for a different future than they might have anticipated.
Enjoy all the news, articles, information and snippets in the March magazine, and thank you to Gillian and Margaret for their dedication in bringing it to us once more. In this season of reflection and preparation we walk the journey through Lent together, and with God’s accompanying, suffering, undying love always with us.
Rev Paul.
Excerpt taken from Emmanuel Magazine March 2026. The magazine, published ten times annually, features articles contributed or authored by our members. It includes a delightful blend of testimonials, devotions, book reviews, prayers, jokes, upcoming events, and more. Grab your copy of the latest magazine at the church foyer. If you prefer to receive a copy by mail or email, feel free to reach out to us.