Words from Bede Circuit
Dear Friends
We are in the season of celebrating Harvest. I have four harvest services in three weeks. Each one reminds us to look back with thanks and look forward with hope and joy. A couple of years ago on a day trip to Holy Island I found a copy of the following “hymn” set to the tune of All Things Bright and Beautiful. The original version has much to celebrate of God’s goodness but, with its challenging satire, so has this one! Sometimes we just do not name the things we do not enjoy about creation, but it is all God’s, and each a part of our ecosystem; even bluebottles, wasps, slugs and snails which make me cringe! Why not sing it with gusto in the comfort of your home as you take time to look back with thanks and look forward with hope and joy to all God has planned for us?! Enjoy it because GOD is good, let’s sing and shout it!
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
The Gardeners Hymn (Author not known)
All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.
But what we never mention, though gardeners know it's true,
Is when He made the goodies, He made the baddies too.
All things spray and swattable, disasters great and small,
All things paraquatable, the Lord God made them all.
The greenfly in the roses, the maggots in the peas,Manure that fills our noses, He also gave us these.
All things spray and swattable…The fungus on the goose-gogs, the club roots on the greens,
The slugs that eat the lettuce, and chew the aubergines.
All things spray and swattable…The drought that kills the fuchsias, the frost that nips the buds,
The rain that drowns the seedlings, the blight that kills the spuds.
All things spray and swattable…The midges and mosquitoes, the nettles, and the weeds,
The pigeons in the green stuff, the sparrows on the seeds.
All things spray and swattable…The fly that gets the carrots, the wasp that eats the plums,
How black the gardeners' outlook, though green may be his thumbs.
All things spray and swattable…
But still we gardeners labour, midst vegetables and flowers,
And pray what hits our neighbour, will somehow bypass ours.
All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.
Zoom Bible Studies each Thursday evening at 7pm.
Zoom Wednesday Prayers at 10.00am
Blessings upon you as we look back with thanks and look forward with hope and joy
Rev Deborah Wainwright
On behalf of the Bede Methodist Circuit Staff Team