Letter 14
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval. (Jesus, John 6: 27)
My Dear Friends, the first thing I want to do this week is to say thank-you for all the work you are doing behind the scenes. That might seem like a strange thing to say considering that our building is closed and that our usual weekly activities have been indefinitely postponed. But, as I have said before, the church is primarily and always has been about the people of God and not the building in which they meet. You know, you are still at work, praying and witnessing in your families and communities to the love of God in Christ Jesus and the hope that is found in him. However, I am grateful for the work of a small team of individuals who have week-by-week taken care of our premises and by so doing are making preparations for the day when we will open for services of worship. In the meantime we remain only too aware of our people who have been working officially during the three months of the lockdown. We continue to give thanks for them and their work, and we ask God to keep them and their families and colleagues safe.
Some churches are opening for what the government is calling private prayer. This is not something which we are currently considering. Our primary consideration must be the health and welfare of our church members and friends and so for the time being we will continue to support one another through the work of prayer and the joint responsibility of pastoral care. Sion Baptist has proved to be a loving and encouraging fellowship and, ironically, perhaps more so during these most difficult days than it has been in recent memory.
We know that wherever we are and whatever the circumstances we find ourselves in we can and should pray. We know that the apostle Paul was right when he told the Athenian crowd (Acts 17:24) that, “the God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands…” That we will have waited hopefully and patiently over the months will make our reunion all the more special when it finally happens.
I am pleased to be able to tell you that next weeks’ message will be delivered and recorded by Carolynn. I am sure that she will bring us a blessing in that word. Ann Alden will be sharing some of her thoughts in Letter 15. For me I am in need of a break from my work. It will be nice to hear different voices. For those of us who prefer to work a little more slowly, please find a prayer I have adapted in praise of the tortoise, my wife’s favourite of God’s creatures:
Let us praise the Lord who created the tortoise.
God our Maker, we praise you for the beauty of your creation:
for the green earth, for the blue skies and the fresh waters.
We praise you for the different forms of life you created,
From big animals to small and humble beings,
for the rapid leopard as well as for the slow tortoise.
In this age of growing speed and unrest we want to especially praise you
Because in your wisdom you created the tortoise,
giving it a slow pace but a long life.
Let us consider the tortoise and learn the lesson you want to teach us through it.
Let us value slowness; let us learn patience.
Give us a slow pace in order to better respect your creation
and to be able to contemplate its beauty.
Teach us to live our life respecting the rhythms of your creation. Amen.
Every Blessing! Mark & Susan (18/06/20)