Good morning beloved,
I pray you are all well and safely held in God’s loving hands. Recently though, I was reminded that this reality is not the case for everyone, funny how a trip to another country or state reveals this truth. The truth that not everyone has a way to stay cool in the heat or a way to wash their clothes in a washing machine. The truth that not everyone has clean and safe drinking water. The truth that some people, right here in this country, do not even have access to nutritional food seven days a week. So many of these realities came flashing back as I traveled and visited Punta Cana recently. Mind you, all these instances were around even before our current unprecedented heat wave or the Covid crisis. You know those events which are hitting everyone across the entire world in some way, shape, or form. I wonder how much worse people are today as the crops burn up in the fields from lack of water.
The beautiful thing God reminds us of is this truth: “whoever is joined with all the living has hope” (Ecc. 9:4). In other words, we still have a chance to care for the environment and the people who are living upon this beautiful Creation. There is still a chance; but we must start living out this part of our faith everyday – now. Will we take care of the entire environmental issue alone? No, of course not. We may not even slow it down too much by ourselves. But that is not the point. Is it? The point is to live every day as faithfully as we can. To live as God is calling us: as good stewards and lovers of all people and all of Creation.
With this truth in mind, I pray you will take a moment each day to help, through the sharing of ideas or the hands of care, because we all can see the problem. We can all feel it as we walk outside during this brutally hot summer, the hottest recorded in England for the last 383 years. Yet, many of us do not always know what to do to help. Still, where there is life there is hope. The ONA team has seen this reality and will be starting a special recycling program this fall (please see the ONA board at the church to read about it), the Reaching Out team has seen this reality and has been supporting food insecurity programs for a while through our “fishes and loves” offering on communion weeks. Many of you individually have helped in your careers or everyday care. However, we are one people and now is the time for all of us to be the hope by living into our faith daily; by sharing our knowledge; or by being God’s hands of care for not only the environment but for all of Creation.
Please feel free to share your ideas, thoughts, hopes and yes even questions; so, we can all grow together in God’s love. May you be safely held in God’s loving hands as we hold the environment and all people in ours.
Your pastor and teacher, Brian
During summer, let us consider and remember to love God each day. Remember love is not just a feeling but an action we do every day. Feel free to text, call, or email me always to share as I am here to support you and your relationship with God wherever you are on the journey. My number is (207-350-9561) if you need anything or simply want to talk. Next week, my pastoral care hours are Tues. 12-5, Wed. 11-3, Thurs. 10-2. Many blessings and Love to you all.