the minister writes… from our November 2025 newsletter
Dear friends,
This is the time of year when it is not unusual to see skeins of geese flying overhead. Often our attention is drawn to them because we hear them honking as they fly and we look up, marvelling at that distinctive ‘V’ and perhaps wondering, are they just flying to safe pasture for the night or is this the start for them of a much longer, migratory journey?
A couple of weeks ago was World Migratory Birds Day and I found myself reading about migrating birds – well, specifically about migrating geese actually – and I discovered that there are some things we could learn from them. So here are my five lessons from the geese:
Lesson 1: We travel farther together
Geese flying in a V-formation can travel 71% farther than if they flew alone. The birds fly in other birds’ slip streams, thus reducing the effort each individual bird has to make and preserving their strength. All but the lead bird of course – but I will come to that one in a minute. When we share our journey of faith — praying, serving, worshipping together — we find strength and encouragement we could never have alone. Who helps you to keep going in faith? Who do you lift up?
Lesson 2: We take turns to lead
When the lead goose tires, it drops back and another takes the front. Christian life is about service and sharing the load. In the church, we each have times to lead and times to follow. What or who has helped you when it has been your turn to lead?
Lesson 3: We encourage each other
Geese do a lot of honking! Whether on water, land or in the air. But did you know that when they are flying the honking isn’t just noise — it’s encouragement! Our words can lift or crush others; encouragement is a holy habit.
Lesson 4: We care for the weak
When a goose is injured or falls ill and has to drop out of the skein, two or three others stay with it until it either recovers or dies. In doing so, they are left behind from their original formation. They will have to join another flock in order to continue their journey or, if it is too late, they will have to overwinter where they have landed. That’s a picture of true fellowship and compassion. The flock cares for its weak and so must we.
Lesson 5: We have a destination
The geese aren’t just flying idly – they have a destination: they are heading home. So are we — this earth is not our home as the old hymn goes; we are pilgrims on the way to God’s kingdom.
So my prayer for our fellowship is that we may we be a flock that flies in formation — following Christ, encouraging one another, and trusting that God will bring us safely home.
With every blessing,
Sharon