Oli Preston writes
Next Tuesday is Midsummers Day - the longest day in the year. We have had a week of beautiful weather, what a wonderful gift! This is a great time to enjoy being outside - to drink in the beauty and splendour of God’s good creation - our shared home - to admire the wonder and find joy in the goodness of God in the world around us.
As we approach midsummer we are just past mid-way between COP26 (in Glasgow last November) and COP27, which will be in Sharm el Sheik (on the Red Sea coast of Egypt) later this year. These big gatherings of world leaders to discuss global agreements on how to respond to the climate and ecological crisis feel very far distant from day to day life in our lovely seaside town… But the conversations and agreements that happen there effect our whole world - including us here, and our brothers and sisters around the world. Sea level rises threatening coastal life, instability in food production as weather patterns change, increased migration as some parts of the world move towards being uninhabitable - all of these things are coming soon, and are already happening for many people. We need urgent change in how our world works - to move away from fossil fuels and wastefulness, and towards a sustainable future of living in better connection and care for the world. The scale of the problem and challenge can be quite intimidating!
“What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
As followers of Jesus, we don’t respond to trouble and challenging times with anxiety or by putting our heads in the sand, but with prayerful engagement. We are not alone! The Spirit of God is already at work in the world, hearing and responding to the ‘groaning’ of creation. In prayer we bring the needs of our world before God - treasuring His good gift to us, asking for His help as we seek to safeguard, restore and renew, and listening for where God is calling us to be agents of His coming Kingdom. This is at the heart of the ‘Pilgrimage to COP27’. Pilgrimage is a prayerful and purposeful journey - often moving towards a particular destination or travelling with a specific purpose. As Christ Church Network (and friends and wider community) we would like to try and cover the distance from Glasgow to Sharm el Sheik (3,327 miles) with prayerful, purposeful journeying. This could be walking, riding bikes, rolling a wheelchair, running - whatever kind of active transport you like, on your own or with others. You can pick up a prayer card to help you with this if you like, or find everything you need here: https://forms.gle/uuicVUWGsG1BbTKUA
forms.gle
The Lord bless your coming and your going.
Rev. Oli Preston
Multiply Minister (Bridlington) and 'Green Dean' for Bridlington Deanery
Christ Church Bridlington Network