We welcomed for the first time to our meeting, the Rev Karen Bell from Woodingdean Methodist Church. Karen is known to a few of the group so we were all looking forward to hearing her message to us. Karen felt led to share something of her life story and faith journey and what an incredible testimony it is!

Karen chose one of her favourite portions of scripture, Psalm 139 v 1-18 as her passage of focus. Having been born with Scoliosis, an abnormal side-to-side curvature of the spine, it took Karen quite a number of years to come to terms with those verses which said, “For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body.” Karen was angry and confused. “Why would God do that? Why would He knit her together with a disability! It can’t be right!” Karen admitted that she used to be so scared of those verses yet they have come to mean so much and are a source of great comfort. God does not make a mistake and with time, God began to heal the way Karen saw herself.  We were reminded that God loves uniqueness and diversity yet sadly, pain is part of the human condition.

We need to remember that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made and allow God’s love to permeate our hearts. Karen did just that and at an Easter People camp at Camber Sands in 1988 chose to believe for herself that Jesus had died for her and had forgiven her of all her sins. From that point her life changed.

The call to go into the ministry was very strong from quite an early age and today Karen is responsible for three Methodist churches, Woodingdean, Stanford Avenue and Patcham.

Karen happily mingled with our group and enjoyed singing some old hymns and songs from her past which brought back many happy memories.

An invitation to return was welcomed and we look forward to seeing Karen again in the autumn/winter session.