Rivertown United Reformed Church

My dear friends,

You've probably heard of the playwright Dennis Potter. He wrote such plays as "Pennies from Heaven" and "The Singing Detective", both of which were screened on television. Shortly before he died he was interviewed by Melvyn Bragg on the South Bank Show. He had cancer of the liver and spleen and only had a matter of weeks to live.

It was a remarkable interview because Dennis Potter was totally positive. There was not an ounce of self-pity in the man. He just wanted to live each of his remaining days as it came, and to do all that he could in that time. I found it very moving throughout, but one thing he said has remained with me: "Life can only be defined in the present tense."

What did he mean when he said those words? I think he was saying 'today's what counts.' Dennis Potter said that he cherished every minute and was able to see things with fresh eyes. As he looked at some blossom on a tree he said that it was "the richest, whitest, blossomiest blossom" he'd ever beheld. Isn't that wonderful!

'Today's what counts.' If only we could always live like that! If only we could get up in the morning and say to ourselves, "If I need to do something, I will do it today; if I need to say something to someone, I will do it today; if I need to forgive someone something, I will do it today; if I want to accomplish something, I will start it right now." Living for the moment. The Eastern Orthodox Church calls it "the sacrament of the present moment."

When I was training for the ministry and living in Oxford, one of the great joys for me was to regularly attend choir concerts. One such concert was conducted by our Chaplain's wife, a vibrant, enthusiastic musician and organist. After the concert I asked her how she was able to get her singers to appear so full of life and joy. "Well," she said, "I tell them to imagine that every time we sing, it may be the last time that we're able to sing."

This was not a cue to make them all feel depressed or morbid. Rather it was meant as a stimulus to the singers to use their every second to the full. It's my belief that if we could only begin to live life like this we'd all make the world sparkle a little brighter.

With sincere Christian greetings from your friend and minister,

Greg.