Rev’d Caroline - [email protected], 01285 712467
Readings for Sunday: Deuteronomy 8.7-10; Matthew 6.25-34
This Sunday we mark Rogationtide, a time of reflection on God’s Creation, the natural world around us, and those who live and work in close connection with the natural world and the countryside. Traditionally this would be a time when we would ‘Beat the Bounds’ – walking the entire boundary of the parish as we pray for the countryside, our communities, and most particularly the farmers and countryside workers. On Sunday we aren’t going to walk that far, so as not to exclude the people for whom that would be a tough walk to make, but we will be starting our service outside. There in the open air we will pray for all God’s wonderful Creation.
One of the most wonderful elements of reflecting on the beauty of Creation is to notice and give thanks for God’s glorious abundance. God showers us with abundance in Creation – in nature, in people and in his Word to us. On Sunday we take time to accept and treasure this outpouring of God’s gifts.
I’m sure we all can think of a moment when the glory and abundance of God’s world has broken into our understanding. Perhaps there was a moment when we were surrounded by incredible mountains, or deep in a forest, or looking into an ocean teeming with life. Sometimes such moments can hit us even closer to home. Looking up to see a red kite circling overhead, walking through a churchyard, or seeing a field filling with growing crops. Jesus reminds us in his words to the gathered crowd that God has provided for and loves his creation: ‘Consider the lilies of the field…’ and in this period we indeed take time to consider.
We know indeed that God has promised to us a new heaven and a new earth, eternal life beyond this one, but that doesn’t mean that the here and now is any less glorious or blessed. “God saw all that he had created, and saw that it was very good.” So let’s work to cultivate an appreciation of his abundance in the everyday!
Rev’d Caroline
Join us for Morning Prayer via Zoom on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 9am every week. Click below for the week starting 18th May. Join us at the link below:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89947692072?pwd=aWVaY5rEvJmAuo15aGcquzfseEQrBM.1
Meeting ID: 899 4769 2072, Passcode: 536306