What Can I Say?A poem by Mary OliverWhat can I say that I have not said before?So I’ll say it again.The leaf has a song in it.Stone is the face of patience.Inside the river there is an unfinishable storyand you are somewhere in itand it will never end until all ends.Take your busy heart to the art museum and thechamber of commercebut take it also to the forest.The song you heard singing in the leaf when youwere a childis singing still.I am of years lived, so far, seventy-four,and the leaf is singing still.I wonder what things nourish your soul?One way God nourishes our souls is through the beauty of nature. Throughout the Bible we read about God communicating to us in the skies, ocean waves, breeze rustling through the trees, fields and flowers, and birds. Jesus often used examples from nature - sparrows, lilies, fig trees, seeds and vines. A reminder that God is constantly speaking through his creation.Nature reveals God’s beauty, glory, power, wisdom, presence, and creativity. As Psalm 8 tells us - the heavens are telling the glory of God. There’s so much in nature that opens our hearts to God. To take a walk on a beautiful day, play with your dog in the grass, or hold your cat on your lap, are ways for many people to connect with God’s loving presence.So take time to enjoy God’s creation, and let go of stress! Rediscover what it was that sang when you were a child… Revd Carol Bates
These eight country churches are all lovely for baptisms and each has a beautiful stone font.Baptisms or christenings are usually part of a regular Sunday service, where the congregation can welcome the newly baptised into the church, but in special circumstances a baptism can be arranged as private service (usually later in the day on a Sunday).Scroll down for more photos!<br>For Baptisms please contact Alison Dale, Benefice Administrator:beneficeadmin@elhamvalleygroupofchurches.co.uk
