The Minister writes… (March newsletter)
Dear friends,
‘The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
Yet their voice goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world.’
So writes the psalmist in the opening verses of Psalm 19. I love these words and the image they convey of creation crying out its praises to its Creator.
In the recent God in Love Unites Us study sessions we have been talking about relationships of all kinds. We have considered how God has made us for relationship with one another but first and foremost with himself. We have thought about his purpose in creating humankind and read in Genesis how he gave humanity two commands: one, to be fruitful and multiply; the second, to care for his creation. We have most certainly done the first, but we have done it at the expense of much of the rest of creation. Our planet has been rich in resources but they are not infinite, yet we have squandered them as if they were. In the West we have prospered at the expense of many living in poorer countries; as the human race we have exploited animal life and polluted our blue and beautiful planet. I can’t help but think that creation’s declaration of God’s glory is coupled with its cries to him for rescue.
The 1st March is the first Sunday of Lent and as we begin this time of penitence and prayer I commend to you the Lenten resources brought out by All We Can (formerly MRDF) which are entitled Radically Changing the Story and look at how through small actions we can have a big impact. When we think about climate change and those most affected by it, we come face to face with poverty and inequality and All We Can invites us to help challenge and change the situation. If, like me, you often feel overwhelmed at the immensity of the world’s problems and cannot see how your small efforts could have any real effect, do not be discouraged and give up but think of the parable of the mustard seed.
Among the resources available are devotional booklets for personal use throughout Lent. I have ordered several them at just £2 each so if you would like to have one, then please just let me know. In the devotional there is this quote from St Francis of Assisi:
‘Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible.’
That seems a good point to end…..or perhaps I should say, to start.
With every blessing,
Sharon