Sunday service 30th April

I would describe myself as a beginner gardener. I started about 5 years ago 

All things bright and beautiful - StF 100

Touch the earth lightly - StF 729

Prayers of praise
 
Let everything that has life,
Let everything that has breath.
Give all the glory and honour and praise.
To the one that overcame death.
Let every living thing.
Sing of the mercies of our God.
Let us exalt Him wherever we live with thanksgiving.
and joy in our hearts.
 
If we don’t praise Him,
The mountains will.
If we don’t exalt him the rocks will cry out in our stead,
‘God is not dead!’
Let every living thing.
Sing of the mercies of our God.
Let us exalt Him wherever we live.
With thanksgiving and joy in our hearts.
Amen
(Lawrence Chewning - Celtic Daily Prayer)

Prayers of confession

Lord we come before you, knowing that we have not always been good stewards of your gifts.
There have been times when we have forgotten all that you have given us and all that you do to sustain us.
There have been periods when we have been careless in the ways we treat the world and everything in it.
For the times we have fallen short - Lord forgive us.
Lord forgive us.

Lord, we confess that there are times we do not care for those around us.
When we are short tempered or frustrated with the people in our lives.
Times we would rather think about our own needs than those we love.
For the times we have been careless - Lord forgive us.
Lord forgive us.

Lord, there are times when we forget that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
We do not care for ourselves as we should. 
We eat and drink things that are not good for us, we ask too much of our bodies and our minds, we fail to rest as you have taught us.
For the times we are neglectful of ourselves - Lord forgive us.
Lord, forgive us.

Loving and compassionate God,
We know that when we come to you and confess our failings you are patient and forgiving.
Walk with us in the days ahead and encourage us on the good paths you have laid out for us.
Amen.

Lord’s prayer 
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
 Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen

For the beauty of the earth - StF 102

Readings: Genesis 1:28 - 2:3 and 2:15
Matthew 6: 25-30

Address.
 I would describe myself as a beginner gardener. I started about 5 years ago after a period of ill health.
My brother, who has a low level obsession with growing ferns, recommended gardening to me and
encouraged me to start small and not make too many changes at once. I began where a lot of people
do - by planting some bulbs. When they successfully grew I felt quite pleased and started reading up on
gardening and how to start taking care of our bit of green space which, up until then, had mainly been
ignored save from an occasional mowing of the grass (and, erm, fertilising by the dog). Around the same
time my son had a homework project where he needed to encourage nature in his garden. We read up on
wildlife gardening and, somewhat ironically for a nature project, we really went to town. I helped him build
a bug hotel out of some old wooden pallets. We collected sticks and sheep’s wool for birds to build nests
with. We planted containers with bee-friendly flowers and put out a bird feeder with a range of tasty
snacks. And then a wonderful thing happened. It worked! Somehow, the local wildlife realised what we’d
done and they started turning up. Birds filled the trees, there were bees on every flower and squirrels
bounded along the fences (much to the displeasure of our dog). After a couple of years we put in a small
pond and the next year we had blackbirds nesting in the hedge and a small frog family. It’s not exactly the
garden of Eden but it brings me joy every day.

This is quite a significant change for me. Growing up I was not what you’d call an outdoorsy child. I
remember watching ‘My family and other animals’ on the BBC when I was about 8 and thinking that I
couldn’t imagine anything worse than running around on a baking hot island looking for bugs. I have the sort
of skin that burns on a cloudy day… under a tree… in April. So at the first hint of sunshine I have to slather
on suncream whilst listening to lots of well meaning people tell me that they had never used suncream and
they’re fine. Winter isn’t much better. I am, as they like to say in Nottingham, nesh. So whilst on mild days my
friends would run around in t shirts, I was huddled inside my school cardigan and usually a coat and
gloves too. Nature was always too much for my liking. Given the choice, I would much prefer to be indoors
with a book than outside. But as I’ve grown up, all that has shifted. My initial, tentative steps into gardening
have grown into a deep appreciation of the natural world. Last week at the Local Preachers meeting I was
asked the question: ‘Where do you see God?’ and I answered, as I always do these days, ‘In nature.’ I connect
most readily to the divine when I’m in creation and my garden allows me to do that every day.
Now, I could stand here and tell you that I’ve worked on transforming my garden and learning about the
natural world because I believe we are called to care for creation. I could refer you to Genesis 2:15, ‘The Lord
God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it’. I could remind you that at
his lowest point, Jesus retreated to a garden and called out to God in desperate prayer. I could tell you that
damage to the environment inevitably affects the poorest and most vulnerable in our communities and that
the church should be opposed to any exploitation of the poor. And the fact is, these are all good reasons to care
for creation, but they are not the only reasons

We’ve known for a long time that time spent in nature is good for us. Fresh air and exercise has been a cure
for generations. But more recently scientists have started to look at how good it is for us and why. There is still a
lot to learn but there have been some interesting discoveries. In one experiment looking at recovery times
from surgery, patients who could see the outdoors had shorter recovery times, fewer complications and needed
less pain relief than those who could only look at a wall. It’s been reported that certain bacteria in the soil can
trigger the release of serotonin in the brain in much the same way antidepressants do. So weeding the borders
is actually helping your mind. And Japan has 48 officially designated ‘forest bathing trails’ where you can go to
walk in nature. There are even medical points you can go to at the start and end of your visit which will record
how much your heart rate and blood pressure have dropped during your trip.

I believe that Genesis 2:15 is right and that God did indeed charge us with caring for creation but I also believe
that God has enabled nature to take care of us. Matthew 6:25 tells us,
‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will
wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes?’

Jesus actively tells us not to worry. Our needs will be met. There is enough. And when we spend time in nature
we see this. When we care for creation it cares for us. And the more we care for it the more we see God’s love for
all living things in action. We see the cycles of the year and come to understand that despite what the world may
tell us, being in a constant state of production is unnatural and unsustainable. We need times of rest and
dormancy just as much as we need times of growth and expansion. We see that plants thrive in different
conditions and at different times. Trying to grow tropical plants in the UK is always going to be an uphill struggle
but when we find plants that are native to our region there is little work needed to see them blossom. We learn
that tiny little seeds can produce enormous trees that can outlive a human by hundreds of years. And we see
how God has created an ecosystem that is constantly readjusting to maintain its equilibrium. When the
weather is too hot and dry, flowers draw up their petals and conserve their water. They put down deeper roots
and restrict their growth. Do we do the same? When the hard times come and we are being scorched by life do
we deepen our connections with the things that matter most? Do we conserve our energy to survive the drought
or do we try to carry on as normal and hope no one sees that we’re wilting?

My little wildlife garden is doing well. I’ve followed my brother’s advice and not made too many changes at
once. There’s lots of trial and error. After several seasons I’ve accepted that I can't grow heathers unless I keep
them in pots and any delicate plants will instantly be fertilised to death by a dog or obliterated by a football so
it’s best to choose sturdy species. The little pond has been redug and expanded by my daughter and is proving
very popular with the local birds who seem to think we’ve built them a private lido. We have miner bees
digging burrows in the grass and mice living in the ivy on the back wall.  Last year I tried my hand at growing
some annuals from seed and found I quite like the rhythm of potting things on and seeing how they develop.
You see? I can even use special gardening phrases like “potting things on” now. 

I have made a difference to my local environment and I have tried to care for the world in the way
God commissioned Adam to do. But the impact on my spiritual life has been immeasurably larger than
anything I have achieved in my garden. Nascent as my knowledge is, I now understand so much more about
the world around me and the interconnectedness of all things. And I see in nature how God cares for all living
things and how he wants us to care for ourselves and others. Humans and plants aren’t radically different. We
need light and dark, warmth and food. We need a bit of care and attention and we grow best when we’re in the
right place and have the right things around us.

So after you leave here this morning I would encourage you to do one thing. Find something natural and take
care of it. It can be a house plant, a seedling or a whole allotment if you have the resources. But look at what
it needs and help it to thrive. And as you’re doing that remember that God wants all of these things for you. If
we care for creation it will care for us and in doing so we will understand a little more of the fathomless love that
​our God has for us. 

Hymn: Be still - StF 20

 Prayers of intercession for Gods creation
Dear Lord, as we think of your wonderful creation – this planet on which we
live and go about our daily tasks, we ask you to open our eyes to everything
around us and help us to see what could be if only we would change our ways.

Loving God, help us all to change our ways.

We pray for a world that is just and fair to all God’s creatures. We think of all
those living in poverty and deprivation wherever they are in the world. We
think of so many parts of our world, your world - Lord God, affected by climate
change and extremes of weather. So many places affected by flooding, or
drought and wildfires. Homes, lands and lives lost as a result of human activity,
selfishness, thoughtlessness and greed even when we are confronted by
overwhelming evidence.

Loving God, help us all to change our ways.

We think of so many creatures and species that are being driven to the point of
extinction by human behaviour. Dear Lord, help us to see the damage we are
doing to the world and to work to conserve, protect and restore all that you
have created so that all life may live together in harmony.

Loving God, help us all to change our ways.

Lord, we see the damage and destruction brought about by pollution, greed,
negligence and carelessness causing great suffering and damage in many parts
of the world to humanity, vegetation, many other species and the
environment. Give us the courage to stand up to all of those responsible and to
challenge them to change and start to put right the damage they have caused!

Loving God, help us all to change our ways.

Lord, we see so many places in your world affected by war, terrorism, and
violence. We think of all those people in such situations and those living under
oppression and cruel regimes and pray that they may know freedom, hope and
your love.
We pray too for the oppressors and the warmongers – that their eyes may be
opened to the ways of peace and hope and justice.

Loving God, help us all to change our ways.

We think of Governments, Leaders and all those in places of power and
authority. We pray that they will lead justly and with fairness in ways that
embrace all people as equal, worthy, and without discrimination because of
race, colour, creed, disability or gender.

Loving God, help us all to change our ways.

We pray for all who are sick or suffering in any way, whether it be from their
physical or mental health. We think of those who have lost loved ones and
those who are dying and pray that they may know your love and find peace
and hope in you.
​
Lastly, we pray for ourselves. In whatever situations we may find ourselves,
give us courage to share your love, your hope, your peace. and your joy with
those we meet on our daily journey.
We ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Saviour.
Amen

 All creatures of our God and King - StF 99

Blessing and dismissal
Go with confidence into the days ahead 
Trusting in God’s unfailing love and faithfulness.
God will not abandon you, for you are the work of His hands, His own creation, and His love endures forever.
So go in joy, to love and serve the Lord!

Celtic Daily Prayer)
Message by Louise Lawrenson