This is Rev Sue’s September letter to the parish.
As I write this the temperature outside is 30°C. That used to be exceptional – now I am taking it in my stride. On a similarly hot day in the gardens of Lambeth Palace, we were discussing Climate Change around the table. One bishop referred to the rains in his country becoming unpredictable. They used to come regularly in September – now it can be the end of November before the rains arrive. By then it is too late, and crops are already lost. Another spoke of increasingly severe winds that could carry away a house, and leave people injured or dead, with a trail of destruction in their wake. I said that we had had one very hot day, the train lines had been at risk of buckling, and most people stayed in. It seemed, indeed it was, trivial in comparison. Earlier I referred to Climate Change. For some it is Climate Crisis or even Climate Emergency. For us it is just beginning. For others, it is one of the deadliest problems they have to face.
September we will once again celebrating Creation Season. In the run up to harvest we will have themes of The Sea, Animals and Storms. It will not be all doom and gloom – the focus will be our place in God’s creation, with awe and wonder at its diversity and power. We will look at the way connecting with God’s world enriches our lives and at how nature can be a way of learning about and relating to God. By deepening our understanding of ourselves as God’s creatures our respect for and desire to protect the planet from harm will naturally develop. Those things we know we should do – recycling, using the car less, eating less meat, will become acts of love for our planet instead of moral obligations. A good place to start is this Gaelic prayer that calms our souls before it asks God to help us change our lives.
A Gaelic Blessing
Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the gentle night to you.
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you.
Deep peace of Christ,
of Christ the light of the world to you.
Deep peace of Christ to you.
May God who established the dance of creation;
who transforms chaos to order,
lead us and empower us
to transform our lives
the witness of the Church
and the governments of nations
so that all might preserve and reflect
the glory of God revealed in creation.
Amen.
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 