Praise the Lord of all creation
The Church of England General Synod decided this summer that the first
Sunday in September can be called A Festival of Creation in Christ, when
we celebrate the fact that God created this wonderful world for us to live
in. The Genesis creation account reminds us that God made this planet our
home, and despite the world undergoing many changes over millennia,
and our present fears over global warming and climate change, we should
be grateful for what we all share and care for it. When he had completed
his creation, “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was
very good.” (Genesis ch. 1, v 31).
Now most people are returning from holidays and summer activities, we
can focus on the glories of creation and our responsibility for the physical
world, and also on ourselves and our spiritual life and how we can
cultivate and grow that.
There may be something in our church calendar that you may like to try
for the first time, or if you had to step away from joining in for any
reason, to come back to. As you will see from this Bulletin, lots of
activities and groups begin again, so now is a good time to make a fresh
start.
We build our spiritual life by stepping forward in faith. And we can
include ourselves in the celebration of creation, as God made each of us
unique and individual. In the words of the song we often sing about the
change our God longs to make in us, we can say: “I am a new creation.”
Each day is new, and presents us with new opportunities. We can put
aside the happenings of the past and set out in joy. You can experience (as
the song says) “a joy that knows no limits, a lightness in my spirit, here in
the grace of God I stand.”
Then it will truly be a time to rejoice in “Creation in Christ” and all that is
ours through his death and resurrection. Come on and celebrate!
Best wishes and blessings,
Reverend Debra