Autumn colours and mists pervaded the park as we met this week.  We were really aware of the change in the season.

As Wend had said she felt more connected with the earth by meeting outside I thought we should continue what we started discussing on Wednesday evening in Moca  – Ian Adams “Reconnecting with the Earth”

Ian Adams questions were:

• How are you reconnecting with the earth and her creatures?

• How might your mission venture reflect the need to love the earth and to learn from her?

I thought it might be useful to do a little exercise to focus our minds on what is of value in God’s Kingdom. We often miss the minute` and look at the bigger things.

Imagine you are the Creator of the Park – you have made it for your pleasure and to share with others. Look around your kingdom and ask yourself:

What is of value?

What are the resources at your disposal?

What is beautiful?

What would you change or remove?

What would you protect if it was threatened?

What did we say;

“Everything is beautiful here today. Soil, trees, flowers, river, birds, for us, for all, space, trees, river, views, leisure, all ages, reminder of seasons, trees for good air and branches for birds, people, space, beauty, water, soil, the river:- constant, but changing, flowing – life giving, God’s planned evolving and good place – for us to participate in – to take our place and to give thanks. I thought the resource of most value was the soil beneath our feet. All that we see around us, all that we need comes from such stuff. Most of what we see around us all that we are will eventually become this stuff. The earth is a living, renewing, dynamic mass acting as a massive recycling depot.”

Reading – Ephesians 3: 14 -17 (NIV)

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Looking at the trees that surround us imagine the roots growing and spreading under the soil – the love of Christ reaches deep into our being, but how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ for the rest of the earth and its creatures? As the Ephesians reading says this love “surpasses knowledge” – so who can say?

Share bread and wine 

For this bread, made from grain harvested from the good soil, we thank you.

For the Bread of Life broken for us, we thank you.

For this wine, made from sun ripened grapes, and nourished by the good soil, we thank you.

For the Wine of the Kingdom poured out for us, we thank you.

Blessing – Ephesians 3: 14 – 19 (The Message)

^14-19 My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.