A Rocha Silver Award

St David’s we celebrated two things – gaining the Silver Award from A Rocha Foundation and the teachings of St Francis – the son of wealthy merchants who gave it all up to become a monk, living simply and serving others. He is best known through his prayer “Make me a channel of your peace”. He had a spiritual awakening when praying at the derelict church of San Damiano, near Assisi, when he heard a voice calling him to “Rebuild my church”. Little did he know that this meant rebuilding the whole church, spiritually, changing its values. Francis taught that we should live with purpose, live to serve others, to live lightly to the earth and its resources and live with gratitude for all we are given in our lives.

Instead of the sermon, we finished work on our bug hotel, filling the compartments with hidey holes for winter for solitary bees and the many insects that have come to our pond. Those who like to create beautiful things made origami birds, a direct reference to St Francis who prayed and worked in the outdoors so often, birds would come to him. Our next Green Café Worship is in February, when we shall think about going forward in our Eco Church – is it to the Gold Award, or something different? Inspired by our work over the last five years, I’m sure it will be fun and spiritually challenging.

B Brockbank