Reflection from Rev Hilary Kemp for 23rd MayPsalm 1481 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. 4 Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, 6 and he established them for ever and ever— he issued a decree that will never pass away.7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, 8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, 9 you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, 11 kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, 12 young men and women, old men and children.13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens. 14 And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart.Praise the Lord.ReflectionLast Sunday, amongst other things, Jules and I had the privilege of baptising Danny in the sea at Westward Ho! Thanks to Brad for the picture below. It was a beautiful day, and several of us gathered on the beach to celebrate with Danny. It was a wonderful and really moving occasion. We listened to Danny give his testimony and we sang “I the Lord of sea and sky”. There was something really powerful about singing those words on the beach, under an amazing blue sky and right next to the (gently!) crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean.Psalm 148 talks about all of creation praising the Lord. It certainly felt as if we were praising God alongside creation during Danny’s baptism service. Meanwhile, many from Abbotsham were observing creation praising God as they walked from the village up to Cornborough and back. Steve took Bonnie, our dog, and thanks to him for the second picture below. I don’t know about you, but when I’m walking along with a view like that in front of me, I can’t help but join creation in praising God – in one of those “Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder” moments!Praising God was definitely a theme last Sunday as we also raised the roof at St Mary’s in Appledore, firstly at the morning Communion service and then later at The Big Sing, both part of the Christian Music Festival. We are so privileged to live in such a beautiful part of God’s creation. As we observe the beauty around us, let’s join in with creation in praising God. If there are days when we’re feeling a bit low or fed up, maybe a walk or some time spent in the garden and a reminder that the flowers, the sea, the hills, the sky and the animals, even the insects, are all praising God will lift us and help us to join with creation in praise of our maker. Common Worship: Collects and Post Communions, material from which is included here, is copyright © The Archbishops' Council 2000
Monday evenings 6:15pm-8:00pm at Holy Trinity Hall Westward Ho! Supper served with tea & coffee Starting 3rd March! For more information call Rev Jules on 07857 946576
The repairs to the bell tower of the church started in March and work is progressing well.Once the repairs have been done the bells will be able to be rung again; we still need to raise money to complete the job, though, so any contributions to this will be welcome.
