April Update From Sacred & Secular

A month of change, progress, and learning to trust again

My new wheels! A mobility scooter so that I can get out and walk the dogs more easily. Author’s own image.

Dear Subscriber,

Each month, I write a short letter to reflect on what has been and to share a little of what is unfolding here at Sacred & Secular.

Many of you will know that this project began after I had to take ill-health retirement from full-time ministry. It remains a difficult place to be at times - spiritually, financially, and mentally. I am slowly learning what it means to trust God in new ways. That is very much a work in progress.

What I am discovering, though, is a growing ability to notice the blessings that sit alongside the struggle, rather than being overwhelmed by it.

Sacred & Secular has been financially helpful to us and has given me hope. More than that, it has given me something back that I thought I had lost: a sense of calling. Writing each day has become a way of relating to God again, one that can be shaped around changing energy levels and the realities of life as it is now.

I am deeply grateful for the support we have received so far, and especially grateful to you for being part of this community at such an early stage.

One of the unexpected joys has been hearing from readers around the world. Messages, emails, and comments from those who have made Sacred & Secular part of their daily rhythm, whether to say thank you or to continue the conversation, mean more than I can easily put into words (I know, ironic!). I read them all and value them deeply, so please keep them coming.

April has felt like a poignant month. It has been the first Easter I have been able to engage with fully since retirement, both in my local church and through these daily reflections.

If I were to name what stood out most, it would be the immediacy of the resurrection accounts. When you read them closely, there is a surprising amount of movement, running, confusion, raised voices, and uncertainty. It is not calm or carefully ordered. It is chaotic, human, and real.

And yet, out of that chaos emerges one of the most beautiful and hopeful stories the world has ever known.

We are still living within the hope of that story now.

Looking ahead, I will continue writing daily, with at least one reflection each week available to all subscribers. It is a rhythm that feels sustainable, and one I am committed to maintaining.

As we move into May and the weather here in the UK (hopefully) improves, I am also looking forward to getting out a little more on my new mobility scooter. It was generously funded by a clergy charity, and I am already aware of what a difference it is going to make.

For now, though, thank you, truly, for reading, for subscribing, and for being part of this community.

From me, and from Hank, my ever-snoring King Charles Spaniel,

Paul.

If you are reading this and haven’t yet subscribed, you would be very welcome to join us. I share reflections like this each day, and it would be good to have you as part of this community.