Peace with Creation
Dear Friends,
Like the natural world, where we have the seasons of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, our church year is made up of seasons. We begin with Advent, followed by Christmas, leading into Epiphany, Lent, Easter and so on.
The Season of Creation is marked by many different churches across the world in September. This year as we approach the Season of Creation, in the midst of heatwaves, wild fires and droughts, we have been made acutely aware of how essential it is for us to take appropriate steps to acknowledge and respond to the climate crisis.
The theme for the Season of Creation 2025 is: “Peace with Creation.” The word in the Bible for peace is “shalom” which is about ‘wholeness, integration, completeness, everything moving together in dynamic harmony.’ Shalom is the message of Jesus, sometimes referred to as the ‘kingdom of God’, and it should be our message too.
As one of my favourite theologians, Diana Butler Bass states:
‘God created this luminous web of creation — and we are part of it. When we strain it, abuse it, violate it, or break it, there’s a response. That’s part of the way things are. We are not separate from creation or above it. We are within it. Our actions — like cutting down trees — have consequences on our very lives.’
Each and every one of us is called into companionship with Creation. This calling inspires us all to pray and act for a better future for all that is living: sunflowers and cockapoos, oak trees and caterpillars and much, much more.
So, with this in mind, please do get in touch with images and words about your favourite part of Creation. We’ll collate them all into one big, wonderful Creation collage which can be displayed to show our compassion and commitment.
In peace, Nicola
| CALENDAR | |||
| 7th | SUNDAY | 10.45am | Morning Worship led by Rev Phil Chilvers |
| 9th | Tuesday | 12.30pm | Guild Lunch |
| 10th | Wednesday | 9.30am | Elders’ Meeting |
| 14th | SUNDAY | 10.45am | Harvest Festival and Children’s Sunday Morning Worship led by Mrs Sheila Telfer Followed by The Church Family Barbecue |
| 21st | SUNDAY | 10.45am | Morning Worship led by Rev Phil Chilvers |
| 27th | Saturday | 2.30pm | Service to celebrate the 80th Anniversity of Christian Aid |
| 28th | SUNDAY | 10.45am | Morning Worship, including the Sacrament of Holy Communion, led by our Minister, Rev Dr Nicola Robinson |
A CELEBRATION FOR 80 YEARS OF CHRISTIAN AID
Saturday, 27th September
Join us for a Service to celebrate the work of Christian Aid which has been tackling poverty and injustice in many parts of the world for 80 years.
The service will be held on Saturday, 27th September at 2.30pm, here at Headingley St Columba, and will be led by our Minister, Rev. Dr Nicola Robinson. We have invited our friends from the Partnership Churches and from Churches Together in Headingley to join us.
CHURCH BARBECUE
We shall be holding our Annual Family Barbecue following our Harvest Worship and Book Sunday on Sunday, 14th September.
All are welcome to join us for this family get-together and we hope for another sunny afternoon so that those who wish to be part of the full Barbecue experience can sit outside. To aid catering please sign up on the notice board in the Small hall during refreshments on Sunday or let Sue Bollon know directly.
CONGRATULATIONS
Happy grandparents, Jon and Mandy Foster were proud to inform us that their son, Peter, and his partner, Koda, had a baby son, Wren, at 7:31am on Monday 18 August. Mum and baby are doing well and we hope they are now both home following a short stay in hospital as Koda recovered from surgery. We send our love and best wishes to them all.
WaterAid Harvest Appeal 2025
Every so often something happens that makes you realise how much we take for granted. This year -RAIN. Or rather -WATER – and the lack of it, in our reservoirs. Whether it is making a cup of tea, cleaning your teeth, flushing the loo, watering the garden, cleaning the car – don’t think about it – just do it. Or, perhaps not so much this summer. Perhaps you have thought about it more and even thought about those who have to think about every drop. Who have to carry every mouthful some distance and then not know how clean it is.
So, let’s show our appreciation for what we usually take for granted by supporting WaterAid this Harvest time. Almost 1 in 10 people in the world do not live close to a source of clean water and have to collect dirty water for all their needs. This can lead to deadly diseases like cholera. Providing clean water to a village has social affects, too, relieving women and girls of what may be hours of collecting and carrying it home and with girls then given a greater chance of attending school.
Sadly, climate change means drought dries up water holes and torrential rain pollutes water sources making the provision even more urgent.
WaterAid works to bring clean water along with decent toilets and hygiene to the millions who cope with dirty water every day. Since 1981, they have directly supported 28.9 million people to get clean water. Every drop counts so let’s see if we can help them add a few more. Please make your cheque out to WaterAid and Gift Aid forms are available to make the most of your donations. The appeal will run throughout September.
GUILD LUNCH
Our lunch this month will be held on Tuesday, 9th September and if you are free this time, you are welcome to join us. We meet at about 12.30pm with lunch at 1 o’clock. There is a tendency to sit and natter over a cup of tea or coffee, but if you have to leave promptly we are not offended – all welcome. The cost – £4.
SMILE FOR YOU
Smiling is infectious; you catch it like the ‘flu,
When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too.
I passed round the corner and someone saw my grin
When he smiled, I realized I’d passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile, then I realized its worth,
A single smile, just like mine, could travel round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin, don’t leave it undetected
Let’s start an epidemic quick, and get the world infected!
Our thanks to Beth for sharing this positive verse and to little Kit for setting an example.
Some years ago, on a family visit to Lindisfarne, my father, in particular, was entranced by the exhibition and film showing the creation of the Lindisfarne Gospels. The beautiful script, the carpet pages, the illustrations and the depictions of the Gospel writers alongside the story of their making, left us in danger of not making the tides. We, then, later returned to Durham when the Gospels were on loan from the British Library to see them ‘for real’ and set in the context of other works of art and artefacts from the 8th century.
I had accepted, but not thought through, the symbols of the Gospel writers shown on the title pages and had an ‘I wonder why’ moment and ‘wonder if’ you are interested too.
The explanation begins with the Revelation of St John and the description of four beasts around the ‘Throne of Heaven’ (Revelation 4, 5 -8) and over time they came to represent the four Gospel writers.
A winged lion represents Mark because he indicates the kingly nature of Christ and his gospel opens with John the Baptist ‘roaring’ in the wilderness. An ox is associated with Luke because his gospel stresses the sacrificial nature of Christ’s ministry and begins with the priestly duties of Zechariah. A winged eagle is associated with the visionary John – flying closest to heaven – and the mystical opening of the gospel.
The first gospel is, of course, by St Matthew and his feast day is celebrated in September. St Matthew; a winged man, or angel, because his gospel opens with the genealogy of Christ thus underlining the human nature of his coming.
Malcolm Guite celebrates St Matthew in his Sonnet and we are grateful that he allows it to be reproduced copyright free. The illustration is from the Lindisfarne Gospel of St Matthew.
First of the four, saint Matthew is the Man;
A gospel that begins with generation,
Family lines entwine around the Son
Born in Judea, born for every nation
Born under Law that all the Law of Moses
Might be fulfilled and flower into Grace
As every word and deed in time discloses
Eternal love within a human face.
This is the gospel of the great reversal
A wayside weed is Solomon in glory
The smallest sparrow’s fall is universal
And Christ the heart of every human story
‘I will be with you, though you may not see
And all you do, you do it unto me’
