3rd February – Time to give thanks to God for Creation
Sing praise to God who reigns above,
the God of all creation,
the God of power, the God of love,
the God of our salvation;
with healing balm my soul he fills,
and every faithless murmur stills:
to God all praise and glory!
StF 117
As the signs of Spring are starting to appear with snowdrops and daffodils in our gardens and around the countryside, buds showing signs of new life and the birds singing in the trees as they prepare to build their nests, we give thanks for the seasons and marvel at God’s creation.
For me I have had enough of the short days and long dark evenings and look forward to the days getting longer and warmer. But for others in our own country, who are still recovering from the storms and all the devastation and flooding they have caused, we pray that all will be well very soon.
Around the world the seasons are very different to ours, the warming climate is causing many unexpected and very difficult problems as we now hear about on the news, so are able to include them in our prayers.
What are we doing to the wonderful world God gave us? We are challenged to become more responsible for the environment with recycling and reducing use of fossil fuels. If this is a challenge for us, how much harder is it for our friends in the poorer areas of our world, where just living from day to day is difficult. How can we share this responsibility?
Grant us, Lord God
the vision of your kingdom,
forgiveness and new life,
and the stirring of your spirit,
so that we may share your vision,
proclaim your love,
and change the world,
in the Name of Christ.
Amen.
Church in Australia.
Liz Chick – Area Trustee Southampton & Channel Islands
