I remember flying a kite for the very first time. We were on a family holiday, dad, mam, my brother Michael and me. I was ten, he was nine and life was an adventure. Using a guest house as a base, we would set about visiting the area. We would go to the beach then visit a stately home with large flower gardens and back to the beach. Now in order to maximise our enjoyment on this particular holiday and in the expectation of building good memories, my dad bought us ships; rock-pool worthy, yellow and blue, plastic cargo ships; about a foot long. (Plastic toy making shipyards didn’t measure in centimetres back then) He also bought us kites, one each and while my brother raised his ‘Jolly Roger’ pirate kite over a Crowded Barry beach, I held on for dear life to my ‘Doctor Who and the Darleks’ kite. I was so exited! Hauling it in letting it out, my kite rose higher and higher, the Welsh wind fighting me for ownership of Patrick Troughton’s face. I recall the mixture of elation and fear, the tension in the line and the tension in me. Would it dive and crash, would the line snap if I let it out all the way?

Tension! The whole of life is held in tension. Pleasure and pain, peace and anxiety, love and hate. I did let my kite sore to the limit of its line, it didn’t crash and the line didn’t snap. I hauled it in ready to fly another day. If we are ever going to experience the joy of life then we must be prepared not just to live with this tension but embrace it. Jesus put it this way, “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” As we walk the ‘Via Dolorosa’ we will find that his yoke is easy and his burden is light and we will find rest for our souls.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matt. 11:29-30

2. The Christmas Story from Phil, Leanne & Steve (13′ 11″) click here

3. The blessing and closing remarks from Keith (3′ 40″)  click here