As part of the All Saints Church’s Twelve Days of Christmas display, we made a scene depicting the Six Geese Laying which is symbolic of the six days of creation.
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The Sixth Day
The start book in the Bible is Genesis. It says that on the sixth day God made the creatures that move along the ground and the wild animals. And God saw that it was good. Then God said “Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness”. Male and female He created them, and it was so.
God saw all that He had made and it was very good. Busy day! So on the seventh day He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.
This contrasts with the recent scientific announcement for confirmation of detection of gravitational waves, as predicted by Einstein, which confirmed the Big Bang Theory. Unfortunately, it now appears there is no evidence for the detection of gravitational waves as the data is consistent with dust – Galactic dust interference!
The link with the account of God creating Man by breathing the breath of life into his nostrils is that God made this Man from the dust of the ground.
In a week where we have learned of a woman stoned to death, the appalling news of the two girls in India and the Christian woman giving birth in chains, it is difficult to see the good in the world. However, in the same week, we heard of the sad passing of teenage cancer fundraiser, Stephen Sutton, who at 19, raised more than four million pounds. He used the ‘thumbs up’ sign as part of his campaign. Now all that he achieved was ‘very good’, and I think that God would say so too.
SQUEEZE SUNDAY
June Squeeze saw us finishing preparations to our contribution for the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ festival to take place at All Saints’ Church, Herstmonceux on 27th – 29th June. If you are reading this before that weekend please make time to visit there, much activity has taken place in many local organisations to bring this festival together and it should be a real treat. The July Squeeze, on Sunday 6th July at 10.00 – 12.00 noon, will see us making memory boxes under the skilled guidance of Jenny Crouch, so do join us at the village hall if you can. As always, a warm welcome and free breakfast await you.
June Squeeze Invitation
Come along to Squeeze on Sunday the 1st of June any time from 10am until 12 noon. There’s a new toddler soft play area so bring along friends or neighbours with young children, everyone’s welcome! There’s a free buffet breakfast, newspapers, crafts and games.
Me and My Shadow
Have you noticed as you walk along in bright sunshine that if the sun is behind you, your shadow is in front? If, however the sun is in your eyes then look behind and there is your shadow following you. This is reflected in the old song “Me and My Shadow Walking Down the Avenue.”
So is Easter about seeing the shadows of Easter bunnies running across meadows full of chocolate Easter eggs? How can the true meaning of Easter be overshadowed by this commercial wrapping?
Jesus, as the Son of God, is the Light that has come into the world. That light comes at Easter with a shadow that has penetrated history ever since.
The Shadow of the Cross. The cross erected on a hill called Calvary at Jerusalem at the time we mark as Eastertime. When the shining sun goes so our shadow disappears.
The Son of God shines now in His risen resurrection life so that whoever lives by the truths of Easter comes into “the Light”.
The Shadow of the Cross, across the Shepherd fields, maybe the young Judean bunnies saw that too?
SQUEEZE SUNDAY
Sorry that we did not contribute in last month’s Parish News. The above talk was from April Squeeze, which was Easter themed. Our May Squeeze saw us making busy preparations to our contribution for the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ festival to take place at All Saints’ Church, Herstmonceux at the end of June. We send our best wishes to all the groups who are participating in this creative festival and hope that you all enjoy producing your displays as much as we are. If you would like to preview the ‘Day’ we are representing then join us at June Squeeze, in the village hall, on Sunday 1st June between 10.00am and 12.00 noon when we will be putting the finishing touches to our display. As always, a warm welcome and free breakfast await you.
The Desert Will Blossom
In Egypt recently I was in a shop to buy some Bedouin Tea (delicious!). and I noticed a large glass jar with something sprouting inside. “What is it?” I asked, and the shopkeeper replied “It’s one of these,” and gave me a dried up branch of dead-looking twigs and shrivelled branches. It was an Anastica – a Rose of Jericho.
Now these plants, which are totally dehydrated, come back to life over 2-3 hours when immersed in water with growth and leaves with colour. This is as the prophet Isaiah said: “The desert and parched land will be glad. The wilderness will rejoice and blossom.”
We too can feel like a deserted and desert place. Despite everything good around us we are dry. Our thirst is not truly quenched by whatever we try. It’s like we have a dry hole inside us that’s never filled. The blossoming of true gladness never occurs.
We feed our minds and exercise our bodies, but our spirit remains untended and deserted. A God-shaped hole within us. Please allow this Spring the love and life-giving ‘water’ from God to reach you through Jesus. How? Well, it’s good to start by talking to people who know Jesus. They will be the channel of the peace you seek. The channel for the life-giving water. As Jesus mysteriously said, “the water I give you will mean you will never be thirsty again!”
He plants the regenerating plant in your heart. Try and see.