Having spent a few days this year at Spring Harvest in Minehead, there was one phrase that kept challenging me throughout the various talks, seminars and events that I engaged with - and that phrase was 'to come out of our comfort zones.'

Certainly it feels that this is what I will be doing for part of my sabbatical as I work with Franciscan communities in San Francisco, amongst the poor, homeless and those with AIDS, and in Somerset, involved in the healing and restoration ministry to those who need to get out of life's pressures for awhile.

It is going to be a great opportunity to sample and be involved with two very different kinds of ministry and I am really looking forward to the challenges, openings and new friendships which will be created. This will all be part of my exploring Franciscan spirituality and the lifestyle of St. Francis who was bom in the 12th century in Assisi - a man who witnessed to Christ through preaching the gospel of repentance, and emphasising the poverty of Christ as an example for his followers. That meant that he had a very strong awareness of his social responsibility to the communities in which he lived and worked, reaching out to the penniless and those with leprosy. Others joined him and so it was that he prepared a simple, gospel-based Rule for them all to live by. There are many communities of St. Francis throughout the world, some of them being of the Catholic tradition and others, like the two I am to be involved with, of the Anglican tradition.

I feel that if St. Francis were alive today, he would be a great advocator of coming out of our comfort zones and seeing the needs of those not only around us but many miles from us, in those parts of the world where there is deprivation, disease and fear.

There are, of course, many ways in which we can come out of our comfort zones, whether that is by giving of our time, talents, money or prayer support, by finding out what needs there are in particular places as we get involved with specific organisations, charities and campaigns. While at Spring Harvest, I saw the film 'Amazing Grace' which I found to be an inspirational part of our history. How one man was so motivated in getting out of his comfort zone to make a difference for those enslaved that it resulted in William Wilberforce getting the slave trade abolished. And to our shame that trade still exists - even right here in parts of our own country!!

So as I respond to the challenge of moving out of my comfort zone over the next three months, I have a feeling that the challenge for me will continue beyond that - what lies beyond and how I respond is for another chapter and another article!

Please pray for me and the communities that I shall be working in, as I shall be praying for you.

With warm greetings,

                       Angela