The Vicarage Dear Friends Celebration of Creation!

I am writing this in the second half of the summer holidays, having just returned from an epic trip in Canada. I felt like I could not open my eyes wide enough to see the wonder and the beauty of God’s good creation there.

I am hoping this summer wherever you are or have been – at home, in the village, at the coast, in the fields, over the hill or far away you too may have taken notice of the beauty and majesty that is all around.

In the last issue of the magazine, we challenged you take photos of such wonder and submit them to via the Parish Office. We will display some of your sights and will crown some ‘winners’ this month as part of our Celebration of Creation this Harvest time, and in next month’s magazine.

The point of this competition was not to lead to rivalry (although that did happen between my children who argued over who was baggsying which sight for a photo!) – it was to encourage each of us to seek and recognise the work of God around us.

As St Paul says in his letter to the Romans: ‘For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.’

The power, majesty and design of God is evident all around, if only we would notice. To quote Elizabeth Barrett Browning: ‘Earth’s crammed with heaven And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes— The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries’.

The world is a beautiful and wonderful place, gifted to us by God himself. Our call is to care for it and share it well. Yet how we fail at this. Jesus loves us and forgives us and shows us how to fulfil this call. But will we? Speaking of blackberries, yesterday (9th August) I picked some – I thought how unusual. Turns out they are ripening a month early because of the extended heat. Whilst heat is usual and natural in summer there is no doubt that our summers are hotter and that our increased human activity and use of resources is contributing to a hotter environment. When we fail to care for and share God’s Creation, we affect God’s miraculous design, we put things out of balance and there are impacts.

Early blackberries is not the biggest problem in the world, but it shows the ecosystems is being affected by us and the longer-term consequences are a concern. Having just been on a long-haul trip I do not preach as one who is anywhere near being the steward I could be. But I do recognise God in his Creation and I do marvel at his works. I am grateful for all he has given us and I do want to care and share more. Do you?

With love and prayers for you all,

Jo