Putting the Clocks Back and Moving Forward in Faith

This weekend many of us will perform a familiar ritual. Before going to bed on Saturday night, we will put the clocks back by one hour. For some, that means a welcome extra hour in bed. For others, it simply means darker evenings and the unmistakable feeling that winter is approaching.

Changing the clocks reminds us that while we can alter our watches, we cannot control time itself. The days move on. The seasons change. Life keeps unfolding. Sometimes we wish we could turn the clock back to happier days, undo mistakes, or spend just one more precious hour with those we have loved and lost. Yet the Christian faith is not about living in the past. It is about trusting God with the future.

That thought is especially relevant as we remember Marian Buck, whose funeral will take place on Friday, 6th November at 1.30pm at St Mary's, Bletchingley. Many in our congregations and community will be holding Marian and her family in their prayers. When someone we care about dies, there is often a longing to turn back the clock, to hear their voice again, share another conversation, or relive treasured moments. But our faith points us beyond what has been lost towards the promises of God that endure forever.

In John 4:46-end, a royal official comes to Jesus with a desperate request. His son is gravely ill. He travels a considerable distance, driven by fear and love, hoping that Jesus will come and heal the child. But Jesus does something unexpected. Rather than going with him, he simply says, "Go thy way; thy son liveth."

The remarkable thing is that the man believes Jesus before he sees any evidence. He begins the journey home trusting only in Christ's word. Before he arrives, his servants meet him with the news that his son has recovered at exactly the hour Jesus spoke.

That official could not turn the clock back. He could not undo his son's illness. He could not control what would happen next. What he could do was place his future in the hands of Jesus.

As the clocks go back, we are reminded that every hour of our lives belongs to God. The Lord who brought healing to the official's household is the same Lord who comforts us in grief and carries us through every season. He is with us in times of joy and sadness, in beginnings and endings, in life and in death.

So as we set our clocks back an hour, let us remember that God's timing is always perfect. We may not be able to turn back time, but with Christ we can always move forward in hope. Amen.

Every Blessing

Father Paul