Newsletter - 23 October 2022
Behold the beauty of the Lord...
(Psalm 27:4)
As I write this reflection I look out the window to a glorious autumn day – blue sky and yellow, gold, and red leaves rustling in a gentle breeze. Beauty in the midst of decay. I’ve also been noticing the smell of autumn - kind of a sweet aroma of rotting leaves that is not unpleasant at all.
Henri Nouwen writes that “the contemplative looks not so much around things, but through them, into their centre.” So what happens when I “contemplate” the beauty of autumn?
I see the exquisite design of a loving Creator that turns death into beauty, a beauty that must be noticed, cherished, and remembered before it quickly fades. It helps me accept the reality of ageing, of change. I hear the call to be patient, knowing that my life goes through natural seasons of growth, small deaths, and fallowness. Above all it makes me thankful.
To conclude, let me offer you this beautiful poem by Malcom Guite: And Is It Not Enough?
And is it not enough that every year
A richly laden autumn should unfold
And shimmer into being leaf by leaf,
Its scattered ochres mirrored everywhere
In hints and glints of hidden red and gold
Threaded like memory through loss and grief,
When dusk descends, when branches are unveiled,
When roots reach deeper than our minds can feel
And ready us for winter with strange calm,
That I should see the inner tree revealed
And know its beauty as the bright leaves fall
And feel its truth within me as I am? ...
Focus of the Week
Unity of Christian Visits
As part of our commitment to work for Christian Unity we would like, as a parish community, to visit some of our neighbouring churches and invite you to do the same.
Please consider going along to these services. It would be a great opportunity for all of us to experience another way of worshipping.
