Pastor’s Pen
Keep Your Eyes Upon Jesus
Dear Friends,
Most of the tornadoes and hurricanes which are reported on are the ones which strike the USA mainland followed by the heroic efforts of communities to rebuild and recover. The resilience and stamina of people to begin again after such devastation is remarkable and something to be admired and emulated.
Last week, category 4 Hurricane Beryl, ripped through the Windward Islands amongst which lies St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The worst devastation was on some of the smaller islands although the main ones were still badly affected.
Despite the damage and the obvious preoccupation with being part of the salvage operation, the carnival season has proceeded with all its joyful color. This week, parades and dancing filled the streets which last week were strewn with assorted debris. The faith of our island neighbors is as vibrant as their carnivals, and it is this which gives them their abundant optimism, hope and unquenchable spirit.
The islands’ economies are built mostly on agriculture and tourism, so both will suffer. But the expat community which is dispersed around the world is faithful in supporting its roots. Our own family has links to Vincy Cares, which is a charity based here in the Northeast USA and Canada where many have settled. Even before this recent event, it was involved in supporting the schools, health care and communities of the SVG islands.
Normally, except for Sandy and Irene, we do not feel the full force of hurricanes like Beryl except for a tail end storm, but this one has been forecast to become a tornado which is headed to the Northeast. But, as always, we wait and see what will come our way.
Provided we keep our eyes upon Jesus, and place our trust in Him instead of material things, no matter what storm life throws at us, our Lord will help us through.
Pastor Cliff
Take a Short Walk with God
Dear Friends,
There are many ways to celebrate Independence Day. We will probably go to a local celebration. But perhaps we will also do some exploring of this amazing land. We often hear about people taking road-trips to explore America and this may well be something we will have to do as a family. If I was travelling alone, it would probably be by bus or train, but with five or six of us, it may have to be in a van, car or RV in order to see the places we just have to see.
When I was serving in my first parish, I joined the John Muir Trust to help preserve the wilderness of Scotland. And through this, I read about John Muir, the naturalist, writer and advocate for US forest conservation. He was largely responsible for the establishment of the Sequoia National Park and Yosemite National Park in California. Together with other conservationists, he founded the Sierra Club in 1892. Muir was born on April 21, 1838 in Dunbar in East Lothian in Scotland. At the age of nine, he emigrated with his family to live in Portage, Wisconsin.
After nearly losing his eye in an industrial accident in 1867, he abandoned his career in industy to devote his life to nature. Walking from the Mid-West to the Gulf of Mexico, a journey of about a thousand miles. Then, after his death in 1914, the book, “A Thousand Mile Walk” to the Gulf was published in 1916.
In honor of John Muir, the Scottish Government created a long distance footpath from Helensburgh in the west of Scotland, across the country to his birthplace in Dunbar. And one year, after attending the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh, I set out to walk home to the Scottish west Highlands along the newly opened John Muir Way. Staying with family and friends along the way, I got half way home before realizing that I was carrying too much stuff on my back and had to take a bus to finish the journey. This week, we learn that Jesus sent the disciples out with no baggage to help them travel light and learn about dependence on God’s provision.
Perhaps this Independence Day and Weekend, we might take a short walk on the wild side. But the great thing about this country in which we live is that we are never far from a wild place and the beauty of Creation. And all we will need to carry is our picnic lunch and some water.
Happy 4th of July.
Pastor Cliff
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Dear Friends,
“Life is difficult.”
That is how M. Scott Peck begins his book ‘The Road Less Travelled’. He explains how helpful it is to acknowledge this truth but also that it does not help for us, to whine or moan about our problems, at least to other people. We need discipline to help us confront whatever our issues may be. However, there is one person with whom we can share all our troubles, and in whom we can find encouragement. That person is God, Himself. We can pour our hearts out to God and God will listen without judging or rejecting us. But we need to listen too.
There are various examples in scripture of people who came to God with their problems. King David was not without a problem or two and in the book of Psalms, he honestly shares his struggles with God. His lack of sleep and his tear-soaked pillow, and his weary eyes, sore with weeping. Job had his fair share of problems, as did Jospeh, Moses, Samuel and Jeremiah to name but a few. The book of Lamentations is attributed to Jeremiah or some later author. It was written to lament Israel’s captivity into exile in Babylon. And, for anyone who is overwhelmed by their problems, I urge you to turn always to the pages of this book, chapter 3:22-23.
“22Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.” (New International Version, Biblegateway)
Many days, we fall into bed exhausted, just needing a good night’s sleep, especially during the extreme heat. Some of us who have air conditioning, or at least a fan, are fortunate. However, I was so grateful for the cooler temperatures last night which allowed us some respite and the chance to turn off the A.C. and open the windows for fresh air instead.
The bonus in the morning, is the dawn chorus. Whilst not everyone’s cup of tea, I love it! Instead of a noisy alarm clock’s violent awakening, the birdsong gently begins outside the open window and too if too tired to appreciate it, I drift off back to sleep. However, often, the blend of birdsong provides an essential, soothing antidote to the noise of humanity that has not yet begun its onslaught.
If you are able to wake before the sunrise, it is a wonderful thing to walk up a hill and see the sun come up over the horizon. The exhilaration of blood coursing through your veins from some gentle exercise is just the thing to invigorate you before witnessing the new day begin in all its glory. But, as Harry Lauder used to sing, “It’s good to get up in the morning, but it’s nicer to lie in bed.”
Whichever you prefer, God will give you what you need, according to your need.
The hymn, written by Edith McNeill which paraphrases those verses from Lamentations chapter 3, goes:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never come to an end.
They are new every morning, new every morning,
Great is thy faithfulness, O Lord, Great is thy faithfulness.”
(Glory to God #59, Westminster John Knox Press)
Pastor Cliff
The Mystery of God
Dear Friends,
The Rev Dr George MacLeod, the founder of the Iona Community and former Moderator of the Church of Scotland did not believe in coincidences, me neither.
For the last year, I have been getting to know the various school-run parents and grandparents when dropping off our daughter at pre-school. Through these vital connections come opportunities for playdates, birthday parties and more.
Last week we attended a party for one little boy, and as often happens we have become friends with two of the families. One of the dads works at the university where our older daughter is studying, while one of the mums attended pre-school here at our church. My first response was “small world”. But then I began to wonder about God’s intelligent design in bringing us together.
Another instance happened on Monday, normally my day off, I was preparing for worship with our music director and who should stop in but a young man, now himself a university professor, who grew up in our church. Much to our delight he is around for the week and will be attending our worship on Sunday.
But there is more. The gentleman in question grew up with a love for music and has gone from child prodigy to becoming an organ virtuoso and will be playing at the beginning and end of our worship this week. Come and hear him play as we praise God for His guiding hand upon our lives.
God does work in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform, and is indeed working His purpose out as we reflected last Sunday, and as we sang in one of our hymns:
There’s a song in every silence,
seeking word and melody.
There’s a dawn in every darkness,
bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future,
what it holds, a mystery,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.
Pastor Cliff