16th. July. 2021. Daily Devotion.
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. Psalm 24:1-2
Some thoughts from Peter Millar’s Candle in the Window July 9th 2021
Flower Children: Can you tell primrose from wood anemone? Or a hawthorn tree from a blackthorn? And what are the effects of soil acidity on vegetable plants? Made to sit an exam on the fundamentals of gardening few of us would be able to answer these questions correctly, least of all the young, for whom there is often neither the time nor the space to take up horticulture as a hobby. A novel suggestion by the gardener Carol Klein who is frequently a presenter on gardening TV programmes in the UK, is for gardening to be taught as part of the school curriculum. As she rightly notes, toiling in the mud with trowel in hand not only has physical and mental benefits, but it also teaches the importance of plants to the planet. Now more than ever, when 40% of the world’s plant species are at risk of imminently becoming extinct, according to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, it is essential that children learn to appreciate the world around them. Moreover, gardening instils in a person invaluable life lessons. Audrey Hepburn put it nicely when she said that “to plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow”. Horticulture inculcates the virtues of patience and of perseverance. A child growing tomatoes for the first time will discover that life too is a plant to be attended tended assiduously. Bad weather will inevitably make things difficult from time to time, but as a general rule, you reap what you sow. As Carol Klein suggests more should be done to protect community allotments. Hearteningly, more and more school gardens are beginning to sprout up, even in inner city schools where space can be scarce. However, not all can offer this and we can think of new possibilities. A Chinese proverb advises that life begins the day you start a garden”. Schools should waste no time.
*The real sanctity of any church is that it is a place where we can go to weep in common. Miguel de Unamuno.
* While God waits for his temple to be built of love and compassion, we bring stones. Rabindrinath Tagore of India.
* I am sure that God is alive and well all over the world, but mercifully not dependent on the churches alone for his effective disclosure. The late and wise Scottish theologian Elizabeth Templeton, an encourager of countless seekers.
* Lord how glad we are that we don’t hold you, but that you hold us. A prayer from Haiti whose people have suffered so greatly in recent years.
* A real spiritual life makes us so alert and aware of the world around us that all that is and happens becomes part of our contemplation and meditation and invites us to a free and fearless response. The late well-known writer, Henri Nouwen.
A Prayer the Mentally Ill
Lord, we pray for those who wrestle with mental health issues. Grant them support, care, understanding and love.
We pray for families trying to give support. Lord, supply energy, rest, patience and others to help.
We pray for the wider support network, medical professionals, support staff and volunteers. Protect them from being overwhelmed. Encourage them and give wisdom, in Jesus’ name Amen.
God Guide me
God guide me with Thy wisdom
God chastise me with Thy justice,
God help me with Thy mercy,
God protect me with Thy strength.
God fill me with Thy fullness,
God shield me with Thy shade,
God fill me with Thy grace,
For the sake of Thine Anointed Son.
Jesu Christ of the seed of David,
Visiting One of the Temple,
Sacrificial Lamb of the Garden,
Who died for me. Amen.